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State Risk Management Team

In Missouri, the existing State Risk Management Team (SRMT) is the recognized entity for hazard risk reduction collaboration initiatives in the state.  Under the umbrella of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the SRMT functions as a Silver Jackets team, coordinating across federal and state agencies, as well with external partners. 

The SRMT has been particularly engaged in extended interagency coordination and participation during the Mississippi River flood of 2011, the National Level Exercise (Earthquake) of 2011, followed immediately by the Joplin Tornado, the Missouri River flooding and multiple interagency disaster recovery efforts that continue today. 

The team has pooled resources to share LiDAR data, set the stage for updating our State Hazard Mitigation Plan, learned about Missouri’s budding Business Emergency Operations Center, provided moral support for local efforts such as the Brush Creek Community Partners, and set the stage for initiating a regional level interagency group to carry on where the Interagency Recovery Task Force (IRTF) on the Mississippi River and the Missouri River Flood Task Force (MRFTF) leave off.

Top 3 Team Priorities

  1. State Hazard Mitigation Plan Updates
  2. Inundation Mapping & LiDAR Sharing
  3. Working Disasters & Exercises

The team is interested in:

  • Inundation Mapping
  • Flood Fighting
  • Flood Mitigation
  • Levees
  • Interagency Grant Programs
  • Sharing LiDAR and Flood Risk Related Information

Team Activities

Missouri River Flood Inundation Mapping

This inundation mapping project brought together the State Risk Management Team in Missouri and the Kansas Hazard Mitigation Team to develop inundation maps for the Missouri River from River Miles 377 to 398. The project included developing a prototype inundation map for discrete elevation levels to convey flood risks to communities between Parkville, Missouri and Leavenworth, Kansas and establishing the prototype process for making such inundation maps. The maps were developed with input from stakeholders from Ponca City, Nebraska to the river's mouth in St. Louis, Missouri, including Silver Jackets teams, state agencies, counties, cities, and levee owners, and incorporated lessons from the 2011 flood. Map development took into account how local communities would use the information and is intended to become a standard for doing Missouri maps so data will be communicated in a consistent manner for the whole river system. The flood forecast inundation maps are hosted by the National Weather Service, where inundation mapping coincides with a National Weather Service forecast point that can issue flood warnings. This project was supported with Silver Jackets Pilot funding from the Army Corps of Engineers.  

Hazard Mitigation Measures for Levee Owners

In collaboration with the county and the levee owners, the Buchanan County Levee Districts' Hazard Mitigation Measures project established a useful template for levee owners seeking to establish an emergency action plan (EAP).  The interagency project also used hydraulic modeling to inform evacuation routes in three levees in the county on the east overbank of the Missouri River.  The Halls Levee District will get a developed EAP under this effort.  EAPs are considered an important part of interim risk reduction measures, where larger and long term issues have been identified during the USACE Levee Safety Action Classifications (LSACs), and these are short term actions that reduce risks.  The work is being done in coordination with the USACE Levee Safety Program, and was supported with Silver Jackets Pilot funding from the Army Corps of Engineers.

Little Blue River Actions for Flood Risk Management

Several cities are striving to keep pace with managing development in the floodplain downstream from Blue Springs Lake and Longview Lake in the Kansas City Metro-area.  Independence, MO, requested an interagency effort to help communicate the flood risks to the public, specifically along the river below the dams at these lakes.  The project proposes the creation of two flood forecast inundation maps on the NOAA National Weather Sevice Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (similar to the first project, above).  In addition, the USACE will help the communities with a floodplain management plan. 

Little Blue poster for USACE Flood Risk Management Conference  (pdf, 590 KB)

Roubidoux Creek Flood Forecast Inundation Map

The project proposes the creation of a flood forecast inundation map on the NOAA National Weather Sevice Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (again, similar to the first project, above) for the Waynesville, MO.  This will better prepare the community for severe flooding, similar to the 2013 event, which saw Interstate-44 overtop by three feet and, unfortunately, resulted in loss of life nearby in the city.

Roudiboux Creek poster for USACE Flood Risk Management Conference (pdf, 892 KB)

Missouri River Flood Event Simulation Mapping

The team in Missouri has long been a proponent of communicating flood risks to stakeholders along the Missouri River with inundation maps.  This new project, Missouri River Flood Event Simulation Mapping (FESM) finally presents a continuous inundation map, but the project also establishes a process for use during changing circumstances.  The project enables a mapping process between the Corps of Engineers and the NOAA National Weather Service that during a flood event can account for levee breaches and overtopping and update maps of expected flooding in less than eight hours.

MO River FESM poster for USACE Flood Risk Management Conference  (pdf, 1.02 MB)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For More Information Contact

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Kansas City District, Email, 816-389-3100

State

State leads for Missouri are:

Corps of Engineers and SRMT

Several relevant U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Civil Works programs overlap with the State Risk Management Team, or SRMT.

Silver Jackets. This is the USACE program enabling participation in the SRMT. Some of the states use the name Silver Jackets, however, many of the teams have existed longer than the inception of Silver Jackets around 2009. The Lead Silver Jackets Coordinator for Missouri directly participates on the SRMT, representing all the USACE districts within the state at the team's regular meetings. Each district also has a Silver Jacket Coordinator. The lead coordinator provides regular status updates, available on request. The status updates provide detailed information on active USACE projects and programs, including specific project information that is useful during the FEMA Risk MAP Discovery Phases. The Silver Jackets Coordinators will participate in the FEMA Risk MAP Resiliency Meeting.

Regional Flood Risk Management Team. This team had originated from past Mississippi River floods in 2008 through the Interagency Levee Task Force (ILTF). The team was re-energized in 2011 during flood recovery efforts. The team is a useful resource for interstate hazard mitigation efforts regarding flood risks in the region.

Regional State Risk Management Team. This is the hazard mitigation team made up of the four states in the region, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska, with a focus on the Missouri River. The team is primarily composed of the state agency officials directing those state teams, and representatives from the local USACE Districts. The SRMT co-leads are one of the four states leading this broader team.

Levee Safety Program. The SRMT gets periodic updates on this USACE Civil Works program. Note the USACE is not responsible for all levees in the Nation. The USACE Levee Safety Program activities have complemented SRMT work and have included establishing a National Levee Database, inspecting levees, communicating risks, taking steps to reduce risks, and establishing a levee safety portfolio internally at USACE for prioritizing levee work.

Dam Safety Program. This USACE program complements the SEMA and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources work with state dams. The USACE Dam Safety Program focuses on the large reservoirs, many of which are multipurpose. Reservoirs act together with levees and other infrastructure to reduce impacts of floods, and the reservoirs may also maintain flows for navigation downstream. The program is a little older than the program on levee safety and also has a risk portfolio for prioritizing dam work.

Emergency Management. This USACE Civil Works program addresses flood fighting and the rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure, such as levees or dams. In addition, major disasters and emergencies are also coordinated through this program.

Water Management. The control of flow releases from the many USACE lake projects is managed by the district and divisions responsible for the various river basins.

The flows of the Missouri River are managed by the USACE Northwestern Division. Eight authorized purposes must be addressed, including flood risk management. Flows on the Missouri River are managed by two districts. The Kansas City District Water Management handles reservoirs in Kansas and Missouri that drain to the Missouri River. The Omaha District handles major dams upstream of Rulo, Nebraska. Missouri lakes that are managed by the Kansas City District Water Management include Blue Springs Lake, Harry S. Truman Reservoir, Long Branch Lake, Longview Lake, Pomme de Terre Lake, Smithville Lake, and Stockton Lake. Upstream in Iowa is Rathbun Lake, which flows via the Chariton River to reach the Missouri River.

The eastern side of Missouri is part of the USACE Mississippi Valley Division, which does water management for tributaries of the Mississippi River. Reservoirs on the east side of the state (see map), including Mark Twain Lake and Wappapello Lake, are managed in the St. Louis District. The St. Louis District also addresses the navigation mission and water management for the associated locks and dams.

In southern Missouri, Bull Shoals Lake, Clearwater, Norfolk, and Table Rock Lake are managed by the Little Rock District, which is part of the USACE Southwestern Division.

Flood Risk Management Projects. This USACE Civil Works program manages and conducts planning studies, projects under design phase, and other projects in construction phase within the State of Missouri. Those in the Missouri River Basin are part of the Kansas City District. Those USACE projects in the Mississippi River Basin are managed by either the St. Louis District (eastern Missouri), the Rock Island District (northeastern Missouri), or the Memphis District (in the Boot Heel; southeast Missouri). In southern Missouri, the Little Rock District is responsible. The Kansas City District has a map to more clearly illustrate the areas of responsibility.

Floodplain Management Services. The USACE offers assistance on questions about floodplains through the Floodplain Management Services Program. Those in the Missouri River Basin need to contact the Kansas City District program manager at 816-389-3121. For those in the St. Louis District call 314-331-8790. For those in the Little Rock District, call 501-324-5032. In the Memphis District, call 901-544-3832.

Participating Agencies

Federal

State

  • Department of Economic Development (DED)
  • Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS)
  • Division of Fire Safety
  • Department of Mental Health (DMH)
  • Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR)
  • Missouri Department of Labor & Industrial Relations (DOLIR)
  • Office of Administration, Information Technology Services Division (ITSD)
  • Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA)
  • Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC)
  • Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT)
  • Missouri National Guard (MONG)
  • Missouri Public Utility Alliance (MPUA)
  • Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP)
  • Office of Administration (OA)
  • Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC)
  • State Risk Management Team

Private parties or non-governmental organizations

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