Florida sues First Street Technology over climate risk scores

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a lawsuit against First Street Technology Inc., a climate-risk modeling firm. The state alleges that the company’s property risk assessments—which score exposure to floods, fires, wind, and extreme heat—are deceptive and based on flawed science.

The lawsuit claims that First Street’s scores often contradict federal data, such as FEMA flood hazard classifications. Uthmeier argued that these “alarmist” scores depress home sales, lower property values, and increase insurance costs for homeowners. The complaint further alleges that the company is using its data to advance a “climate activism agenda” while exploiting consumer fear.

First Street, which was recently acquired by MSCI Inc., provides 1-to-10 risk scores that are integrated into major real-estate platforms like Zillow and Redfin. While intended to provide transparency for informed purchasing decisions, the models have faced pushback from real estate agents and sellers who claim the ratings negatively impact the market. This legal action follows a similar lawsuit filed against the company by Nebraska in August.