1

www.nfrmp.us/state

MG Walsh Emphasizes Interagency Teams “Flood risk management is a team sport – a shared responsibility between federal, state, and local governments and the general public. History has taught us that collaboration among all of these partners is critical if we are to effectively manage that risk,” remarked MG Walsh, Deputy Commanding General, Civil and Emergency Operations, USACE, during his opening comments at the Flood Risk Management and Silver Jackets awards luncheon. He emphasized the importance of “making a friend before you need a friend”. He went on to say, “After several years in the Mississippi Valley, I discovered that you really don’t know the true value of friendship and complementary working relationships until you find yourself facing a disaster.”He stated that the USACE approach to flood risk has evolved significantly over the years. It has shifted from the concept of flood control and flood damage reduction to the current approach of shared flood risk management. MG Walsh said, “The Silver Jackets program is one of our most important and effective initiatives. It serves to operationalize the vision of the National Flood Risk Management Program.” However, he acknowledges that there is work to be done to continue to build relationships to achieve outcome-oriented objectives. MG Walsh used the metaphor “we win in the turns” to describe the effort needed to move forward in order to assist in creating resilient communities that safely prosper along rivers and coasts while respecting the beneficial functions of the floodplains.At the luncheon, MG Walsh, along with Ms. Karen Durham-Aguilera, Director of Contingency Operations and Homeland Security, USACE, and Dr. Sandra Knight, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Mitigation Directorate, presented three separate

achievement awards for last year’s accomplishments in the Flood Risk Management and Silver Jackets programs. This year’s award recipient for the Flood Risk Manager of the Year honors a member of USACE, Mr. Randall Behm from the Omaha District. The award acknowledges Mr. Behm’s passion and commitment to flood risk management. His partnering is extensive; he serves as the USACE lead or co-lead as well as a mentor for seven state teams. In addition, he also serves on the Iowa Interagency Levee Work Group. Furthermore, he is the Chair of the USACE National Non-Structural Flood Proofing Committee through which he has conducted several mitigation workshops around the country.Randy Behm is honored as Flood Risk Manager of the Year. MG Walsh, Mrs. Karen Durham-Aguilera, and Dr. Sandra

Knight present the award.

The purpose of this newsletter is to share recent Silver Jackets news and to provide a forum for team support, sharing successes, lessons learned, and resources.ContentsMG Walsh Presents FRM/SJ Awards.......12012 FRM & SJ Workshop........................2 Spotlight on…Idaho and KentuckyBoise River, Idaho: One Version of the Truth...............................................3KY SJ Team Partners with Frankfort, KY.........................................................4Lessons Learned from 2011 Missouri Flood....................................................5Levee Safety Program Update...........6 Advancing Mitigation Actions through Community Engagement.....7Coastal Systems Portfolio Initiative..8Idaho Floods! A Flood Awareness Guide....................................................9 IN SJ Workshop on Fluvial Erosion..9 Federal Interagency Task Force Supports SJ.......................................10Flood Risk Mentoring Session........10 Upcoming Events..............................10

October 2012

2

The Buzz...a Silver Jackets Quarterly NewsletterMs. Stacey Underwood from the Baltimore District was presented with the Silver Jackets Coordinator of the Year award for outstanding contributions in advancing the goals of the Silver Jackets Program. Ms. Underwood serves as the lead USACE coordinator for the Pennsylvania and Maryland Silver Jackets teams and is a supporting member of the New York and Virginia teams. The Pennsylvania team, with twelve active federal, state, regional, and professional agencies and organizations, has prepared an Interagency Flood Risk Management Program Guide to help communities sift through enormous amounts of flood related information. Ms. Underwood has also supported a pilot project to generate a flood inundation mapping tool for a number of Pennsylvania communities.This year’s Silver Jackets Team of the Year award was decided through peer voting by team members nationwide. The honor goes to the Kansas Hazard Mitigation Team and participating agencies including the Kansas Departments of Agriculture and Emergency Management, the National Weather Service, FEMA, US Geological Survey, and USACE. The Kansas Hazard Mitigation Team exemplifies many goals of the Silver Jackets program. As a team, they implemented FEMA’s RiskMAP program, reviewed and revised the state Hazard Mitigation Plan, reviewed local mitigation and flood management plans, and promoted the Community Rating System throughout the state. In addition, the team is completing a Silver Jackets Pilot project to enable a community to provide predictive flood modeling and forecasting while integrating the various agency missions.

Congratulations to all the award recipients who serve as models in the flood risk management community!

Stacey Underwood from Baltimore District receives award for Silver Jackets Coordinator of the Year from MG Walsh.

Brian Rast from USACE and Tom Morey from Kansas Dept. of Agriculture accept SJ Team of the Year award from MG Walsh.

October 2012

3

The Buzz...a Silver Jackets Quarterly Newsletter

2012 Flood Risk Mgmt-Silver Jackets Workshop – Integrating People and Programs In a climate of tight budgets and heavily scrutinized conferences, expectations for the 2012 FRM-SJ Workshop were high. The conference was well attended by a large cross section of participants, demonstrating widespread interest. In fact, this year’s attendance exceeded previous years and included a broad spectrum of representation, with 54% of attendees from outside USACE. When participants were asked their level of agreement with the statement Overall, the workshop agenda topics and speakers were relevant to my work, a striking 100% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed. Eighty-nine percent of respondents ranked the Workshop well above average compared to other conferences. Sally McConkey, Chair of the Association of State Floodplain Managers, stated, “The Workshop was excellent; it was packed with information and time for regional discussions.”

Mr. Glenn Cannon, Director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, welcomed the audience to Harrisburg and described recent Pennsylvania experiences with Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. He shared several innovations, such as the one-stop-shop at Disaster Recovery Centers, extensive use of volunteers, initiation of a state reemployed annuitant program, expedited flood prone property buyouts, and tasking the state Silver Jackets team with jump starting needed coordination. Mr. Cannon stated, “A key success story for the Pennsylvania Silver Jackets team was the effort undertaken to solve the debris removal issues. All of the agencies came to the table to collaboratively solve the problem.”Senior leaders at the Workshop, including Ms. Karen Durham-Aguilera, Director

of Contingency Operations and Homeland Security at USACE, and Dr. Sandra Knight, Deputy Associate Administrator of Mitigation at FEMA, emphasized the importance of working together to achieve success. Ms. Durham-Aguilera pointed to an Iowa levee setback project as a good example of collaboration across all levels of government to improve community resilience. Dr. Knight presented a slide revealing the vast number of levees in the nation and outlining the importance of unifying and refining our approaches to explaining the risks associated with levees.

Dialogue at the Workshop affirmed the need for community perspectives and a high level of engagement with multiple agencies working as team. It also underlined the importance of taking action and demonstrating the benefits of collaboration. During the Workshop, all Silver Jackets teams were asked to provide a brief overview of their team activities and interests. This exercise illustrated the differing, as well as common, areas of focus, and the following networking among teams proved beneficial to many. In response to the question of what they found most useful, the majority of respondents focused on networking and discussion opportunities. In closing the Workshop, Ms. Karen Durham-Aguilera noted, “The 101 presenters at the Workshop provided a significant amount of information and ideas on which to reflect and take action. A lot of the issues that need to be

addressed are not hampered by regulations or authorities, and can be resolved through strong relationships.” Workshop presentations and handouts are now posted on the conference website: www.nfrmp.us/frmpw/.

Ms. Karen Durham-Aguilera, Director of Contingency Operations and Homeland Security at USACE

Glenn Cannon, Director of PEMA, welcomes participants.

Dr. Sandra Knight, Deputy Associate Administrator, FEMA

October 2012

4

The Buzz...a Silver Jackets Quarterly NewsletterSpotlight on Idaho and Kentucky:

Boise River, Idaho: Many Agencies Working Towards One Version of the Truth By Ellen Berggren, USACE Walla Walla District

When a significant percentage of a state’s population resides in a watershed with significant flood risk, that watershed will receive focused attention by many agencies. The Boise River watershed, located in southwestern Idaho, is home to over 600,000 residents, more than one-third of Idaho’s population. Despite upstream federal storage projects and community participation in the National Flood Insurance Program, the watershed has more than $10 billion of infrastructure at risk for flood damage. The watershed is one of the highest flood risk priorities for USACE Walla Walla District.To reduce this risk, many agencies are currently involved in studies to better prepare for and respond to flood events or to mitigate risk. For example, USACE is conducting a General Investigation (GI) with the Idaho Water Resource Board for flood risk reduction and water supply. Concurrently, FEMA, which recently completed the Risk MAP Discovery process, is developing updated Boise River flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs). Ada City-County Emergency Management (ACCEM) has recently completed an updated County Hazard Mitigation Plan and is interested in developing inundation maps to plan emergency flood response activities. The National Weather Service (NWS) is developing inundation map libraries to post on its Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) webpage. All of these activities rely on floodplain models and maps. The Idaho Silver Jackets capitalized on the team’s ability to network, coordinate, and cooperate to successfully leverage data, analyses, and other resources to develop one version of the “truth” about flood risk in the Boise River watershed. The Idaho Silver Jackets team was established in 2009. The core working group, consisting of five federal and three state agencies, meets monthly. Team goals include improving flood risk communication and outreach, promoting wise stewardship of taxpayers’ investments, reducing duplicative efforts, presenting a unified message, and providing a one-stop, multi-agency technical resource. Team collaboration in the Boise River watershed highlights the successful execution of these goals.The Silver Jackets team provided the forum to coordinate analyses and resources of several agencies to develop a series of Boise River inundation maps. The hydraulic model used to create the inundation maps was initially developed during a USACE GI study. Local governments contributed additional funds, technical assistance, and GIS support to partner with USACE to use the model to map additional flows under the Planning Assistance to States Program. USGS furnished updated river gage data and analyses. NWS provided technical review and funded placement of the inundation map library on its webpage. The Idaho Silver Jackets team utilized all of these efforts as they developed and executed a watershed flood risk outreach strategy. The end result was a consistent picture of flood risk and a hydraulic model used by many in the watershed for several purposes at a cost savings to agencies and the taxpayers. Currently, FEMA is partnering with USACE to further develop the hydraulic model to update FIRMs. Availability of the flood inundation maps on the NWS webpage provides community leaders and residents with a better understanding of flood hazards and assists with planning, mitigation and flood response. Boise residents can go online to evaluate flooding scenarios and determine if flood insurance is necessary. Visit the NWS webpage to access the interactive flood maps posted at: http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/inundation/inundation_google.php?g_datatype=depth&wfo=boi&gage=bigi1

Google Earth fly-through of 0.2-percent chance flood event (500-year chance) on the Boise River in Idaho. Boise State University’s famous blue turf football stadium is on the left.

October 2012

5

The Buzz...a Silver Jackets Quarterly Newsletter

Kentucky’s Silver Jackets Team Partners with the City of FrankfortBy Carey Johnson, Kentucky Division of Water

In May 2010, the City of Frankfort, Kentucky, was impacted by a major flood, the same event that devastated parts of Nashville. A federal disaster declaration opened the door for response, recovery, and mitigation assistance. The event also underlined the need for an active Silver Jackets team to take full advantage of the window of opportunity in moving flood risk management forward. Consequently, the Kentucky Silver Jackets Team was formed not long after May 2010. One of its first priorities was to work with the City of Frankfort to promote flood awareness and assist in flood risk management. Eleven state and federal agencies including Kentucky Utilities partnered with the City of Frankfort and Franklin County to take full advantage of USACE Silver Jacket Pilot Project opportunity to supplement promotion of multi-agency collaboration and coordination while addressing community needs. Frankfort was an excellent candidate since there were already several organizations committed to projects in the area. For example, FEMA was in the process of updating the Flood Insurance Rate Maps, the USGS was planning a flood inundation mapping initiative in response to the 2010 floods, and the electric utility was interested in updating an Emergency Action Plan for an electricity-generating dam upstream of the city. In addition, the levee system protecting Frankfort had been accredited by local officials. The Kentucky Silver Jackets Team Pilot Project builds upon these ongoing initiatives.

The scope of the Pilot Project covers three major activities: development of flood inundation maps for a 7 mile reach of the Kentucky River through the City of Frankfort and Franklin County, completion of a levee failure analyses for two reaches along the Kentucky River, and the preparation of Dix River Dam inundation mapping to be incorporated into an updated Emergency

Action Plan. Even though these three separate activities are driven by different agencies, they share common goals and resources. There are significant cost savings in leveraging resources from federal, state, and community sources. Some of the resources leveraged include LIDAR data, hydraulic modeling on the Kentucky River, high water mark data, surveys and bathymetry, levee and dam failure analyses, local property valuation data, and funding.Once the project is completed, there will be many tangible benefits that will result in risk reduction. The web-based, interactive flood inundation mapping product will lead to an increased awareness of flooding in general on the Kentucky River and the site specific risks of living near a levee or downstream of a dam. The interactive maps will be used as a planning tool for identification of accessible evacuation routes. An assessment of levee failure and overtopping of the Dix River Dam will include impacted areas, business interruptions, and long term recovery requirements. All the above information will assist the City of Frankfort in updating their Flood Mitigation Plan. The project will lead to financial savings for individual home and business owners since flood insurance premiums are expected to be reduced through the Community Rating System.The experience of combining resources and funding for the City of Frankfort will put the Silver Jackets Team in a better position when another flood event occurs. The multi-agency approach to problem solving provides a broader and more pro-active solution. In the near future, the Team will build upon the success of this project and use a similar approach in other areas of the state.

Risk MAP Discovery meeting with stakeholders in the Upper Cumberland Watershed in Harlan, KY

October 2012

6

The Buzz...a Silver Jackets Quarterly Newsletter

Lessons Learned from the 2011 Missouri River Flood Regarding Outreach, Assessments, and Levee RepairsBy Beth Freeman, Regional Administrator, FEMA Region VII; co-Chair Missouri River Flood Task Force

The formation of the Missouri River Flood Task Force (MRFTF) after the flood of 2011 allowed relationships to form among all levels of government - creating a venue for information exchange where work could be coordinated, issues and concerns could be raised, and lessons learned from the Missouri River flood recovery effort could be highlighted. One of the issues highlighted by the 2011 Missouri River flood and raised by various MRFTF Work Groups is the need to communicate better about the ramifications of living in a floodplain. In spite of previous flooding on the river, the flood of 2011 caught many individuals unaware and ill prepared. People’s memories are often short when it comes to floods and just how devastating they can be. Improved and continual outreach during all phases of the risk cycle, especially in preparedness and mitigation is a critical role for the state Silver Jackets teams and the Missouri River Basin Interagency Roundtable. Heightened flood awareness leads to increased prevention.Integrating damage assessments has always been a challenge for the myriad of federal and state agencies in a post disaster operation, and the Missouri River flood was no exception. There was no shortage of flood damage assessments; however, the total cumulative flood damages by event and location (state, basin, county, etc.) were generally unknown during the 2011 flood recovery event. Several federal agencies account for specific damages within their authority; however, integrated assessments from all federal agencies are needed to make informed, immediate, and future flood risk management decisions. Inventorying the assessments performed on a single residence following this event, for example, might reveal separate damage assessments including: the initial overall community damage estimate report, a National Flood Insurance Program substantial damage determination, a flood insurance claim report, a habitability permit, and an Individual Assistance/Family Grant inspection report. The Federal Interagency Floodplain Management Task Force could oversee the development of an integrated damage assessment process which would involve various federal agencies whose purpose would be to support the segments for which their agency is responsible. A streamlined, integrated, and cost effective process would no doubt better serve the public and flood victims.Another lesson highlighted by the Missouri River Flood Task Force is that a sustained effort would more comprehensively reduce flood risk. MRFTF collaborated during the recovery phase only. The most important work a task force can accomplish is between the extreme events, not after, i.e. a proactive approach versus reactive. There is no time during the urgent preparation for the next runoff season to think beyond immediate repairs to a more holistic approach to the flood risk management system. This type of thinking and planning must be done in advance and then implemented during the flood recovery phase. For example, many levees were repaired to original specifications even though they have failed during each flood event over the past decades. There was a desire to do something different, but no time to define what that “something” should be. Consequently, a holistic flood risk management plan is needed for the basin, along with specific plans for reaches of the river that have repeated problems. During a disaster recovery, a community can then work towards that plan instead of doing repairs in a piecemeal, isolated approach. To grease the skids, better federal investments and flexibilities are needed to support levee setbacks or realignment projects to reduce long-term risks and future damages. In addition, multiagency collaboration and pre-planning are needed with sponsors, FEMA, USACE, USDA, and the states on the potential use of buyout, easement, and real estate authorities to support future actions.Successfully addressing follow-up actions in advance would leave the emergency management community in a better position to handle the next flooding event. For more on these recommendations as well as other lessons learned, please reference the Missouri River Flood Task Force’s After Action Report at: http://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/MRFTF/docs/MRFTF%20AAR%20Final%209.18.12.pdf

October 2012

7

The Buzz...a Silver Jackets Quarterly Newsletter

Levee Safety Program Update: Assessing, Communicating, and Managing the Risks and Benefits Associated with LeveesBy Jennifer Dunn, USACE - IWR

USACE established the National Flood Risk Management Program (FRM) for the purpose of integrating and synchronizing USACE flood risk management programs and activities, both internally and with counterpart activities of other federal, state, regional, and local entities. One of the most visible flood risk management programs within USACE is the Levee Safety Program. During the week of August 27th, over 120 USACE Levee Safety Officers and Program Managers and invited guests met to share updates on program activities and consistent messaging and to discuss the impacts of policies and procedures. The risk framework that includes assessing, communicating, and managing risk is at the foundation of the Levee Safety Program. While USACE has a responsibility to assess risks and benefits associated with levee systems in the USACE program, this assessment is far less meaningful without accompanying communication and management of risk and benefits. A significant lesson learned is that the best communication efforts involve the levee system sponsor throughout both routine and non-routine processes. Further, when communication is uncoordinated or lacking, or when sponsor expectations are not met, the impacts can be costly. Representatives from FEMA’s FloodSmart program shared lesson learned and communication tools. The most influential factors in successful communication were government recommendations, extent of flood hazard, flood likelihood, timely instructions, what friends said, personal consequences, an ongoing conversation, and actions to take immediately. A key challenge is overcoming denial of flood risk. Do the comments “The risk stops at a line on a flood map”, “I’m already covered, my homeowner’s policy covers flood”, and “If my home does flood, it’s no big deal” sound familiar? FloodSmart has found the most successful means of overcoming this challenge is to vividly personalize the consequences by illustrating the threat to financial security (“I could lose my savings”), threat to way of life (“I could lose my home, my possessions, my business”), and avoiding regret (“Floods are dirty and cleanup will be horrible”). To assist with general flood risk and NFIP communication, tools are available at FloodSmart.gov at the community resource tab. Tools such as fact sheets and StrongPoints on topics including risk assessment and risk-informed decision-making and interim risk reduction measures specifically developed for communicating flood risk associated with levee systems are available through a USACE Silver Jackets Coordinator. A comprehensive fact sheet for each specific levee system will be developed by District offices and will also be made available. Over the last 9 months, the Levee Safety Program has engaged in planning and product development, stakeholder engagement, and vetting to develop effective process to communicate the risks and benefits associated with levee systems, including the Levee Safety Action Classification (LSAC). Initially 43 levee systems will serve as pilots. Lessons learned in federal interagency coordination and stakeholder feedback will be utilized to adjust the communication process. Both during the pilots and additional levee system risk communication, Flood Risk Managers and Silver Jackets Coordinators are asked to take on a role in coordinating the interagency communication of risk, as well as interagency planning and implementation of interim risk reduction measures in a shared responsibility context. Flood Risk Managers, Silver Jackets Coordinators, and Levee Safety Program Managers were asked to discuss the revised Levee Safety path forward with state teams and plan their District’s specific actions together with their Public Affairs Office and Planning Division. For more information, contact the USACE Silver Jackets Coordinator for your state(www.nfrmp.us/state).

Attendees at recent levee safety meeting.

October 2012

8

The Buzz...a Silver Jackets Quarterly NewsletterAdvancing Mitigation Actions Through Community EngagementBy Kelly Bronowicz, FEMA HQ

There is no doubt that when communities take mitigation measures, people recover more quickly from natural disasters while lessening the financial impacts of these disasters on the nation. FEMA’s challenge has been determining how best to support and encourage these communities to take mitigation action. Simply using traditional outreach methods, such as risk maps and technical self-help publications, do not always work. While FEMA understands the value of mitigation, we are challenged to engage the community in understanding the benefits of taking mitigation action. FEMA’s current outreach efforts advance risk awareness and mitigation action by trying to reach communities with the right message at the right time. We are now adding another outreach component by working with the states and Silver Jackets teams to directly engage the community. With this added component, FEMA can build relationships and deliver bundled products and services that are tailored to the individual needs of a particular community. Through our new approach, FEMA will employ research, analytics, and experience to understand a community’s needs and capabilities. Once we understand the community, we will then provide a package of information, products, and incentives that speak to what individual communities need in order to advance action.In order for this new approach to begin, our staff will be introduced to the skills necessary for relationship management and community engagement. Staff will be given tools and training on applications of communication concepts, assessing community action potential, and understanding the community.

Another piece to our new approach is having a FEMA “Relationship Owner.” This FEMA owner will be working directly with the state and existing Silver Jackets teams to build long-term relationships with key officials. Since an important aspect of community engagement is collaboration between federal, state, and local officials, the FEMA owner will work closely with them

to create and execute a mitigation plan that enables communities to become more resilient.To provide an example of the new process, Beach Town, an illustrative coastal community, is partnering with FEMA on a study project. Kelly Jones is the “Relationship Owner” for Beach Town and its mayor, Roy Smith. Kelly works across FEMA and learns that virtually all Beach Town households are in the floodplain, but the community is not a Community Rating System (CRS) participant. Kelly meets with Roy and shares how Beach Town could mitigate risks AND lower insurance premiums by becoming part of CRS. She then calls the CRS representative and puts that person in touch with Beach Town’s Mayor, Roy. She also communicates to Roy how FEMA Mitigation products could be used to pinpoint key mitigation actions that the community should employ. Through this coordination with different federal, state, and local officials, Kelly is able to provide Beach Town with better information and possibly save the community money on their flood insurance, while creating a more resilient community.This example provides a look into how the new approach works and where FEMA hopes it can go. While the approach is currently being tested through pilot programs before being integrated into all ongoing and new projects, FEMA does look to make this community engagement a new standard procedure.For more information about the Community Engagement Approach please contact Kelly Bronowicz at FEMA Headquarters (Kelly.bronowicz@fema.dhs.gov).

October 2012

9

The Buzz...a Silver Jackets Quarterly Newsletter

Coastal Systems Portfolio Initiative (CSPI)By Donald Cresitello, USACE New York District

The development of a systems approach for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) coastal projects that consider the connectivity of projects in the USACE Flood Risk Management, Navigation and Ecosystem Restoration business areas can better reduce damages and manage risks from coastal storms. The Coastal Systems Portfolio Initiative (CSPI) is working to develop a rational, technically and economically sound decision-making framework for the USACE coastal program to assure that projects are able to provide those benefits for which they were explicitly authorized. In the past, unpredictable funding streams have significantly impacted the capacity for these projects to perform, and even tighter budgets in the future have prompted USACE to look into a new way to implement and maintain projects. Through the Planning Center of Expertise – Coastal Storm Damage Reduction (PCX-CSDR), the USACE initiated a process that examines and evaluates federal projects along the Nation’s coastlines as a system of systems instead of as individual projects. The findings are summarized in a Technical Review Document (TRD) and web database that are updated on an annual basis. The technical review of coastal projects presents a qualitative analysis of existing conditions, resources at risk, estimated federal future costs, and opportunities for action. Three pilot studies are also being undertaken to investigate the feasibility of using a systems approach to more efficiently and effectively budget for the study and construction of coastal projects in the USACE Flood Risk Management, Navigation, and Ecosystem Restoration programs. Pilot studies for a group of projects will be tested over the next 3 to 5 years and will include the following: (1) maximizing sediment management along the South Shore of Long Island, (2) maximizing risk reduction along the coast of New Jersey, and (3) maximizing regional benefits for the coasts of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. The team’s challenge is to develop successful pilot studies to identify and demonstrate solutions with the least cost, while providing the same level of benefits across every project area.The New Jersey Pilot Study is nearing completion while the New York and DelMarVa Pilot Studies are currently being re-scoped and are ongoing. The overarching goal for the NJ Pilot Study is to evaluate and prioritize the network of USACE coastal projects in NJ for shore protection, navigation, and coastal ecosystem restoration with specific objectives to: (1) identify cost efficiencies in meeting project purposes, (2) maximize risk reduction, and (3) maximize opportunities for regional sediment management. The pilot study developed a prioritized five-year plan for work along the NJ coast that maximizes risk reduction for a given set of assumptions and constraints, including financial constraints. The format that was adopted for the NJ Pilot Study was to convene a one-day panel of experts with representation from the non-Federal sponsor for NJ coastal projects (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection), regional academic experts, and the two USACE districts (New York and Philadelphia) that share responsibility for NJ. Projects listed outside of a plausible upper limit for annual funding represent the portfolio of projects that may not be accomplished and represent the need to identify and consider alternative funding mechanisms to implement these studies and projects in the coming future.Within the next couple of months, the CSPI team will work to complete the Spring 2012 TRD, update the TRD for all coastal USACE Districts for Spring 2013, and complete the three Pilot Studies. For a copy of the latest TRD or the draft NJ Pilot Study brochure and to view the website database, visit http://cspi.usace.army.mil or contact Donald Cresitello at donald.e.cresitello@usace.army.mil.

!"#$%#&'()$%*+$',"-%."&/"'01/%/#%/2*'

3*451/4#&'6*2/*7'".'!"#$%#&',-"8*4%$9'(5"-*',-"%*4%/"1:';#2/<#%/"1'#1='>4"$)$%*+'6*$%"-#%/"1'."-';"-%5'#1='("?%5'@%&#1%/4'A/2/$/"1$

>B/$%/1<'!"1=/%/"1$:'6*$"?-4*$'#%'6/$C:'>$%/+#%*='D?%?-*'!"$%$:'EFF"-%?1/%/*$'."-'@4%/"1

!"#$%#&'()*+#,'-./012/3

4/*2+5'6/+78'-./012/3

!"#$%#&'()*+#,'-+0$/23

4/*2+5'6/+78'-+0$/23

("?%5'!#-"&/1#

D&"-/=#

9/+'62%&8$'-./012/3'

9/+'62%&8$'-+0$/23

;*7'G*-$*)

;*7'H"-C'

:1#/5'()*+#,'-./012/3

:1#/5'()*+#,'-+0$/23

;H

I>

;JI@

60!3

;G

A>IA

K@

;!

(!

L@

DM

@MI(

(F-/1<'NOPP

!"#$%# &

'(%")

*'+#*#,-'.-/01%2"3

4#% 2"

3# & '5 &#33 23, '!-3 %-

) '67 '

89:-)%2 $-

;<-'5&#3323,'=#>-'67';<-'?

0%0)-

October 2012

10

The Buzz...a Silver Jackets Quarterly Newsletter

Idaho Silver Jackets Team Produces a Flood Awareness Guide

The Governor of Idaho endorsed a booklet entitled: “Idaho Floods! A Flood Awareness Guide for the Gem State.” It is intended to increase awareness of the impact of flood hazards in Idaho and educate its citizens on steps to take to protect homes and businesses. The handbook recounts Idaho’s history of flood events and provides an overview of the types of flood hazards the state experiences. The National Flood Insurance Program and the benefits of participation are explained. The booklet is also intended to be a reference guide to the best approaches for family protection before, during, and after a flood. The multiple agencies of the Idaho Silver Jackets team that made this booklet possible expect the handbook to be widely distributed and incorporated into educational curricula, land use planning, and public forums. In reviewing this publication, Larry A. Larson, Director Emeritus of the Association of State Floodplain Managers adds, “The entire booklet is a great example for other states…Silver Jackets continues to do good things.” The guide can be found at http://www.bhs.idaho.gov/pages/Preparedness/Hazards/PDF/Idaho%20Flood%20Booklet.pdf.

Indiana Silver Jackets Workshops Roll Out Fluvial Erosion Hazard ProgramFluvial erosion hazard (FEH) caused by a stream channel’s natural meandering is a significant concern in areas where human development and infrastructure are close to natural waterways. Recognizing this hazard, the Indiana Silver Jackets Hazard Mitigation Task Force has initiated a multi-agency program to identify, study, and provide mitigation planning resources for individuals and communities who would like to adopt FEH avoidance strategies. The resources provided by this project will enable individuals and communities to better recognize areas prone to the natural stream erosion process and to subsequently adopt strategies to avoid FEH risks.In October, three workshops were held for state and federal agencies to provide an in depth understanding of fluvial erosion. The workshops were designed for personnel working with stream regulation, storm water infrastructure design or regulation, transportation, or flood mitigation. In November, a series of five regional workshops will be open to a broader audience and will be given around the state. More details on the workshops can be found at www.indianafeh.polis.iupui.edu/index.htm or by contacting Manuela Johnson at mjohnson@dhs.in.gov.

October 2012

11

The Buzz...a Silver Jackets Quarterly Newsletter

Federal Interagency Floodplain Management Task Force (FIFM-TF) Supports Silver Jackets ParticipationThe FIFM-TF Co-Chairs, David Miller, Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administrator, FEMA, and Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), DoD, released a letter to all FIFM-TF principals requesting their support and participation in the Silver Jackets Program. The letter also encouraged all agencies to become directly involved with Silver Jackets teams consistent with their respective areas of responsibilities, since the teams are most effective when all relevant agencies participate. To ensure future support for and collaboration with Silver Jackets teams, the Co-Chairs asked each agency participating on the Task Force to identify an agency point of contact for Silver Jackets coordination efforts. Ms. Dunn, USACE Silver Jackets Program Manager, will work with agency representatives to develop a broader understanding of Silver Jackets team opportunities and best practices among both state and federal agencies. Agency representatives will help coordinate introductions between field-level agency staff and Silver Jackets or other interagency teams. A copy of the letter is included as an attachment to this newsletter.

NAFSMA Flood Risk Management Mentoring SessionThe National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies (NAFSMA) is pleased to announce a special one-day Agency to Agency Flood Risk Management Mentoring Session at the Drake Hotel in downtown Chicago on November 9, 2012. The sponsors are NAFSMA, in cooperation with the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM), the Illinois Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management (IAFSM), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). A total of 6 core continuing education units for Certified Floodplain Management will be available for participants.One travel stipend is available for each public agency to assist with participant travel. Government rate rooms are available at the Drake Hotel, at 140 East Walton Place, Chicago, IL 60611 (312-787-2200). A copy of the preliminary agenda and online registration are available by going to the NAFSMA website at www.nafsma.org.

Upcoming EventsNovember

• ASFPM presents LIDAR Essentials Webinar #3 LIDAR Acceptance and Quality Control, Nov 8, 3:00-4:00 pm• NAFSMA Flood Risk Management Mentoring Session, Nov 9• MN Association of Floodplain Managers Conference, Rochester, MN, Nov 14-16

December• ASFPM presents LIDAR Essentials Webinar #4 Using LIDAR data, Dec 10, 3:00-4:00 pm

February• Wisconsin Wetland Association 18th Annual Conference, Madison, WI, February 12-14

March• Virginia Water Conference, Richmond, Virginia, March 3-5

April• Environment Virginia Symposium, Lexington, Virginia, April 9-11

June• 37th Annual Conference of Association of State Floodplain Managers, Hartford, CT, June 9-14

October 2012

12

The Buzz...a Silver Jackets Quarterly Newsletter