Silver Jackets: Many Partners, One team

SILVER JACKETS

Many Partners, One Team

 
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For More Information Contact

DC Department of Energy and Environment, Email, 202-763-4112

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, Email, 410-962-4977

Washington, D.C. Silver Jackets

The D.C. Silver Jackets is an interagency team comprised of members from federal, District of Columbia and regional agencies, as well as academia. This team leverages resources to identify and implement comprehensive, resilient, and sustainable solutions to reduce flood risk around the District and to assist local communities. Flood risk management is critical in the District, as there are three types of flooding that can impact low areas of the city: river; coastal storm surge; and interior.

The District formalized its Silver Jackets team in 2014 through an interagency Memorandum of Understanding currently signed by 13 federal and District agencies. However, the full team extends well beyond these agencies.

Expand List item 30240Collapse List item 30240  VISION STATEMENT

Establish and strengthen intergovernmental  federal and District partnerships as a catalyst for developing and implementing comprehensive, resilient, and sustainable solutions to the District’s flood hazard challenges.

Expand List item 30239Collapse List item 30239  MISSION STATEMENT

The Team members will establish a continuous intergovernmental collaboration that works with other agencies and organization to accomplish the following: 

  • Facilitate strategic, integrated life-cycle mitigation actions to reduce the threat, vulnerability, and consequences of all types of flooding in the District;
  • Create or supplement a continuous mechanism to collaboratively solve District prioritized flood risk issues;
  • Increase and improve flood risk communication, awareness, and outreach to other organizations and the general public;
  • Foster leveraging of available resources and information among federal and District agencies;
  • Provide suggestions for comprehensive flood risk management policies and strategies;
  • Advocate changes to existing policies and processes that will improve life-cycle flood risk reduction; and
  • Promote wise stewardship of the taxpayers’ investments through the use of benefit-cost analysis.
Expand List item 30241Collapse List item 30241  GOALS
  • Ensure continuous collaboration before, during, and after a disaster;
  • Identify and quantify flood risk;
  • Provide a forum for examining all types of solutions for flood risk management, including both non-structural and structural solutions;
  • Learn about member agency programs, identify limitations and opportunities, and combine programs to create integrated, comprehensive, resilient, and sustainable solutions;
  • Create a multi-agency technical resource for District and federal agencies;
  • Provide assistance in implementing high priority actions identified in the District’s multihazard mitigation plan and the District Response Plan (e.g., Support ESF#14 – Damage Assessment efforts in the aftermath of flood incidents);
  • Improve flood risk outreach by presenting a unified interagency message to better educate and advise mutual stakeholders;
  • Improve internal and external risk communication, including increased awareness of residual risk;
  • Identify and facilitate improvements to existing programs, policies, and processes;
  • Identify opportunities to combine resources, identify gaps, minimize duplicative efforts, and ensure consistency;
  • Catalog and share information on past and future projects and initiatives; and
  • Prioritize current and future initiatives individually and collectively.
  • Provide technical guidance and support during flood emergency responses if available, specifically via the Flood Technical Advisory Group (FTAG) if called upon
  • Support work and recommendations of DC Flood Task Force
  • As appropriate, coordinate/support/review/promote flood risk reducing infrastructure projects being implemented by various DC SJ agencies
  • Consider submitting a proposal to USACE each year for an interagency Silver Jackets nonstructural flood risk management project under the Floodplain Management Services Program

 

Team Activities

DC Resident Flood Risk Management Videos and Outreach (2024)

Under the Silver Jackets program, state Silver Jackets teams can submit interagency nonstructural project proposals each year to compete nationwide for funding to support the USACE task. The interagency projects provide an opportunity for each team to leverage in-kind and financial resources from other federal, state, and local agencies to reduce flood risks.

The purpose of this interagency project was to interview residents living in the District that have experienced flooding and/or have taken actions to reduce their flood risk.  

Figure 1: Snapshot of DC resident video talking about flood risk

Figure 1: Snapshot of DC resident video talking about flood risk

The team interviewed and videorecorded several residents who had stories to share about what they experienced during floods, lessons they learned, actions they took to reduce their flood risk (e.g., physical/structural actions or purchased flood insurance, etc.), and other flood related advice they have for their neighbors. The project is also highlighting residents that are currently taking part in DC DOEE’s new pilot program called FloodSmart Homes to encourage other residents to participate and take actions to reduce their flood risk.

Figure 2: Snapshot of DC resident video talking about flood risk and rain barrels

Figure 2: Snapshot of DC resident video talking about flood risk and rain barrels

Six videos are on the DC DOEE YouTube channel (called Flood Week 2025).

DISB flood insurance video can be found here.

Academy of Construction and Design - Flood Risk Education and FRM Design Project (2023)

Because of the lack of flood risk management (FRM) awareness of high school students and the need to prepare the students for jobs and careers in the construction and engineering field, this proposal was designed to develop an educational training program focused on flood risk management for students in Washington DC’s Academy of Construction and Design (ACAD). ACAD provides DC public high school students with academic and technical studies related to architecture and design, engineering, carpentry, sustainable building, and other specialties.

The proposal involved various DC SJ agencies presenting six educational sessions to the students on topics including: Understanding Flood Risk/Flood Mapping Tools; Resilient Buildings/Resilient Communities; Flood Risk Management Techniques; Flood Proofing Techniques; Surveying Techniques for Flood Studies; and Flood Risk Mitigation Career Tracks. After the series of instructional presentations, two of which included a field visit to flood and water related projects, the proposal culminated in student groups working on a flood related design project. For the design project, ACAD students worked with HSEMA and DOEE to evaluate the potential installation of flood warning signs along various flood-prone streets in DC.

This project exposed high school students to flood risk management, helped them learn about different types of flooding and flood risk, and encouraged them to take actions to reduce the flood risk – now and potentially through a career choice. It exposed them to surveying using GPS, flood resilient building design, stormwater management and related projects in their own communities. This project broadened their general knowledge base, introduced them to a network of federal and DC agency representatives, and helped connect them with and encourage them to advocate for their communities. The project also established a great partnership between federal agencies, DC government and the DC schools that will likely continue and be enhanced.

Figure 1: ACAD Students and Agency Leaders During One of the Educational Sessions

Figure 1: ACAD Students and Agency Leaders During One of the Educational Sessions

Figure 2: ACAD Students on a Field Trip to the Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant, Hosted by DC WaterFigure 2: ACAD students practicing survey techniques

Figure 2: ACAD Students on a Field Trip to the Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant, Hosted by DC Water (left) and ACAD students practicing survey techniques (right).

DC Levee System and Flood Preparedness Public Outreach

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and National Park Service hosted a public meeting the evening of Oct. 30, 2018 in Southwest D.C. to share information with attendees on the results of a safety risk assessment completed for the District of Columbia Levee System, also referred to as the Potomac Park Levee. D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency also presented on flood preparedness measures for property and business owners/renters and evacuation procedures. The purpose of this meeting was to improve the public's understanding of flood risk in the area as well as to educate residents and businesses on steps they can take to prepare for and reduce damages from flooding. This meeting was held as part of a nationwide effort the Corps is leading to individually assess levees across the nation to determine their safety risks and present this information to the public. The information that goes into a risk assessment includes how often the area may flood; the condition of the levee system; and the population and development (including critical infrastructure) at risk behind the levee system.

Public Meeting Materials

*Click on the yellow comment icon on upper lefthand side of presentation slides to view notes.

Federal Triangle Area Flooding

The DC Silver Jackets initiated an interagency project in FY18 to re-engage stakeholders and determine a path forward for reducing the flood risk.  The Federal Triangle, which is comprised of federal and district buildings, experienced severe flooding and millions of dollars in damages in the June 2006 flood and then flooded again in July 2019. Some flood studies have been completed, however, the recommended solutions are costly and no agencies have moved forward with a comprehensive project. The intent of this project is to bring the myriad of stakeholders together to understand the flood risk, strategize potential innovative solutions, and determine a path forward for further study and design.

Two Federal Triangle Area Flood Workshops were held at the University of the District of Columbia, on June 6 and September 5, 2018 (see links to summary report and presentations below). The intent of the first workshop was to provide attendees with an overview of the flood history and risk in the Federal Triangle; discuss steps individual agencies are taking to flood proof their properties; present on types of interior flood risk management measures; and engage on key opportunities and challenges related to interior flooding in the area. The second workshop focused on potential flood risk management solutions.

In May 2019, the key stakeholder agency leaders met to discuss the results of the two workshops and to decide on a path forward.  The agency leaders showed support for moving forward collectively with studying comprehensive solutions to the flooding problem.  They committed to support several short-term tasks by providing data and personnel and agreed to work towards scoping and funding strategies for a longer-term feasibility study.

Following the leadership meeting, the DC Silver Jackets team hosted an interagency charrette on February 21, 2020 with key public agency stakeholders with facility management and/or operational responsibilities to further evaluate the flood risk management alternatives. The charrette summary and presentation is below.

Federal Triangle Area Flood Workshops

June 6, 2018 Workshop Presentations

September 5, 2018 Workshop Presentations

Federal Triangle Area Flood Charrette, February 21, 2020

Photograph of the Federal Triangle Charrette from February 21, 2020

Photograph of the Federal Triangle Charrette from February 21, 2020

Federal Triangle Area Interior Flooding: Preliminary Flood Damage and Impact Assessment

After completion of the charrette, a preliminary damage and impact assessment was undertaken by USACE and the DC Silver Jackets team to help inform decision makers regarding the potential costs and benefits of implementing an area-wide flood risk management project for the Federal Triangle Area (FTA). The study summarizes the flood damages and impacts data the team was able to compile for the 17 buildings/infrastructure assets in the FTA, however the existing and potential future damages data were incomplete or inconclusive for various reasons. Although the study results were ultimately inconclusive, this preliminary assessment compiled the best known data on flooding vulnerabilities and impacts to the buildings and infrastructure in the FTA and should serve as a stepping stone for additional study.

Watts Branch Flood Risk Management Study

The District of Columbia Silver Jackets has completed a multi-year flood risk management study for neighborhoods along Watts Branch, which is a tributary of the Anacostia River, in the northeast corner of the District of Columbia. These neighborhoods are in a special flood-hazard area (within the 100-year floodplain) and consist of high-density residential and non-residential structures and critical infrastructure, including a public housing development. These high-risk flood zone areas will likely expand even further. A flood in an area with lower resiliency can have a devastating impact on the residents and community, including the loss of jobs and displaced residents.

The study results will help the District of Columbia achieve flood-risk reduction goals within their All-Hazard Mitigation Plan. The D.C. Climate Adaptation Plan also identified Watts Branch as one of four priority areas within the District to be addressed.

The study assessed existing flood risks and future flood risks; updated floodplain maps which will allow the community and local organizations to better understand their flood risk; identified individual and watershed-wide flood risk management strategies and neighborhood climate-resilience policies and strategies; and study partners participated in outreach activities to raise awareness of flood risk and promote risk-reduction actions.

Partner agencies include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; D.C. Office of Planning; D.C. Water; D.C. Department of Energy and Environment; Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs; D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency; Environmental Protection Agency; National Weather Service; Federal Emergency Management Agency; U.S. Geological Survey; and Georgetown University.

Washington, D.C. Silver Jackets logo

Participating Agencies

Federal

Local

Regional

  • DC Water and Sewer Authority (DC WATER)
  • Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG)
  • Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)

Academia

  • George Mason University
  • Georgetown University
  • University of the District of Columbia
  • University of Maryland

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