Florida Attorney General Accuses Risk-Assessment Firm of Misleading Climate Data

The state of Florida has filed a lawsuit against First Street Technology Inc., a company known for its climate risk assessments regarding property, particularly relating to flooding. The state claims that the company’s data is deceptive and does not align with federal flood insurance assessments, leading to a negative impact on home sales.

In the lawsuit, filed in Polk County’s state trial court, Attorney General James Uthmeier argues that First Street utilizes alarmist marketing to advance a climate activism agenda, thereby profiting from fear. Uthmeier highlights discrepancies between First Street’s flood risk ratings, which categorize certain properties as high risk, and FEMA’s classification of the same properties as minimal risk. This divergence, he claims, results in prolonged sales periods, decreased property values, and increased insurance costs for homeowners.

Uthmeier demands transparency and accountability from First Street regarding its risk assessment methodologies, suggesting that these models rely on speculative data and bear inconsistencies with established official data.