Silver Jackets: Many Partners, One team

SILVER JACKETS

Many Partners, One Team

 
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Norfolk District, Email, (757) 201-7779

Virginia Silver Jackets

VISION STATEMENT

Support comprehensive and sustainable actions that reduce the level of risk from flooding which result in the protection of life, property and the beneficial functions of floodplains within the Commonwealth of Virginia.

MISSION STATEMENT

To facilitate cooperation and function as a catalyst in the identification, abatement and resolution of flood hazards and associated risks within the Commonwealth through such means as flood and dam observation and warning systems; riverine, coastal and dam break hazard mapping; flood and dam hazard mitigation; planning and education; as well as response and recovery activities.

 GOALS
  • Provide assistance in identifying and prioritizing actions to reduce the threat, vulnerability and consequences of flooding in Virginia.
  • Establish or supplement mechanisms to collaboratively identify issues and implement or recommend solutions.
  • Identify and facilitate changes to existing programs, regulations, policies and processes that support more effective flood risk reduction outcomes.
  • Foster leveraging of available resources and information among agencies.
  • Jointly develop and deliver a unified flood risk outreach message to better educate and advise people about flood risk concepts, including residual risk.
  • Identify and promote education and collaboration opportunities such as workshops, policy forums and training courses.
  • Develop more comprehensive regional flood risk reduction strategies.
  • Integrate mitigation into recovery actions.
  • Improve flood hazard mapping and risk analysis and linkages to advanced hydrologic prediction models.
  • Provide flood risk reduction guidance for disaster recovery operations.
  • Assist in developing and providing mechanisms to measure the effectiveness of implemented flood damage reduction strategies.
  • Maintain a list of actionable items to highlight the team’s activities.

 

Team Activities

Flood Inundation Mapping – Roanoke River, Upper Roanoke Valley, Virginia 

Initiated in 2019, this interagency effort involves developing a steady flow HEC-RAS model to show the extent of flooding expected spatially over a given area, with estimated flood depths over a range of flood stages, generally at one-foot intervals for the NOAA-NWS-defined “Action” stage up to the flood of record. The resulting maps will indicate when and the level of severity that floodwaters may impact roadways, streets, buildings, airports, and other infrastructure. NOAA-NWS, USGS, USACE and Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation are partners on this effort that is anticipated to be completed in 2022.

Flood Inundation Mapping – Blackwater River, Franklin, Virginia

Initiated in 2016, this interagency effort developed an unsteady flow HEC-RAS model to help forecast total water levels for combined coastal storm tide and riverine events. The model was used to create a Flood Inundation Map Library displayed on the National Weather Service's Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service website, showing the possible extent of flooding from low stage events up to and above the flood of record (Hurricane Floyd, September 1999), at USGS gage 02050000. The flood inundation mapping will benefit the cities of Franklin and Suffolk and the counties of Isle of Wight and Southampton. Partners, including NOAA-NWS, USGS, USACE, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Virginia Department of Emergency Management, completed the effort in August 2019.

Hurricane Agnes High Water Mark – City of Richmond, Virginia

Virginia High Water Marks Initiative Group Photo Virginia High Water Marks Initiative Signs

 

Photo Credits: Patrick Bloodgood

 

Flooded buildings in Virginia

Photo Credits: Library of Virginia

On the 44th anniversary of the historic flood resulting from precipitation from Hurricane Agnes, the City of Richmond and the Virginia Silver Jackets Team held a ceremony unveiling a high water mark sign in Pony Pasture Rapids Park. The record of flood at the park stands 13 feet above the parking lot. The unveiling event, supported through a FY16 Interagency Silver Jackets Project Proposal, was the result of an eight month effort and includes two additional signs installed in Great Shiplock Park and Brown's Island. Each location was selected because of high visibility to the public, the opportunity to use public land and the ability to mount signs to existing structures.

 

Brochure for the Hurricane Agnes and Sign Unveiling Ceremony

Virginia Silver Jackets logo

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers supports state-led Silver Jackets Teams through its Flood Risk Management Program.