About the Silver Jackets
The Silver Jackets are collaborative state-led interagency teams, continuously working together to reduce flood risk at the state level. Through the Silver Jackets program, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, additional federal, state and sometimes local and Tribal agencies provide a unified approach to addressing a state’s priorities. Often, no single agency has the complete solution, but each may have one or more pieces to contribute. The Silver Jackets team is the forum where all relevant agencies come together with the state to collaboratively plan and implement that interagency solution. Through partnerships, Silver Jackets optimizes the multi-agency utilization of federal resources by leveraging state/ local/ Tribal resources, including data/information, talent and funding, and preventing duplication of effort.
Silver Jackets Goals
The primary goals of the Silver Jackets program are:
- Facilitate strategic life-cycle flood risk reduction,
- Create or supplement a continuous mechanism to collaboratively solve state-prioritized issues and implement or recommend those solutions,
- Improve processes, identifying and resolving gaps and counteractive programs,
- Leverage and optimize resources,
- Improve and increase flood risk communication and present a unified interagency message, and
- Establish close relationships to facilitate integrated post-disaster recovery solutions.
Why the name "Silver Jackets"?
During disaster response, agencies are identified by their jacket color. FEMA typically wears blue & USACE wears red. ‘Silver Jackets’ represents partners working together to stop flooding issues.
About the Iowa Silver Jackets Program
The Iowa Silver Jackets Program provides a formal and consistent strategy for an interagency approach to planning and implementing measures to reduce the risks associated with flooding and other natural hazards in Iowa. Federal and state agencies are working together to enhance intergovernmental partnerships resulting in comprehensive and sustainable solutions to Iowa state flood risk hazards. The core agencies providing guidance and coordination for the Iowa Silver Jackets Program are listed below. Click on the agency name to find out more information.
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
- Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS)
- Iowa Emergency Management Association (IEMA)
- Iowa Flood Center
- Iowa Water Center
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District (USACE)
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District (USACE)
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA Region VII)
- United States Geological Services (Central Midwest Water Science Center)
- USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS)
- National Weather Service (NWS)
Contact Us
John Callen, P.E., CFM
Floodplain/Dam Safety Division
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Phone: 402-471-3957
john.callen@Iowa.gov
Tony D. Krause, P.E., CFM
Flood Risk and Floodplain Management
USACE Omaha District
Phone: 402-995-2326
tony.d.krause@usace.army.mil
Resources
Educational
- Missouri River Basin Balancer Game
Try your hand at balancing the authorized purposes for operating a main stem inland waterway.
Iowa Silver Jackets
- Non-Structural Landuse Change Impacts on Structure Losses in Cedar River Communities Report - January 2016
The goal of this 2016 Iowa Silver Jackets Non-Structural Flood Risk Management Study was to better understand and communicate the effects of non-structural actions on community flooding and associated economic impacts.