The Connecticut Insurance Department posted the free online tool, developed by the New York City-based modeling software firm First Street, at firststreet.org/connecticut-insurance.
Andrew Mais, Connecticut insurance commissioner, stated the tool can be used by residents in making insurance decisions, whether for standard homeowners policies or flood insurance. The tool debuts nearly a year after Zillow introduced climate-risk scores to listings on its real estate websites using First Street analytics.
While the Federal Emergency Management Agency has long offered flood maps, First Street and other companies are using more sophisticated modeling techniques to better capture risks to property, according to Jared Kosky, deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Insurance Department. The department began looking for a tool after historic floods caused extensive damage in August 2024 in portions of western Connecticut.
"There was clearly a need to assist consumers to be better informed as to what their risks actually are as it relates to extreme weather and climate," Kosky told CT Insider on Tuesday. "We realized the FEMA maps that we have all relied on for years are very static, are not necessarily reliable."
Homeowners can enter their address to get a better understanding of any exposure to weather extremes and any aftermath like flooding, as well as air pollution and other factors that could impact properties or personal safety and health.
Connecticut's property risks run the gamut, from severe risk of wind on Mason's Point in Stonington at the state's southeastern corner to industrial-fueled pollution in Hartford's residential neighborhoods to flood risks in western Connecticut river valleys.
On its website, the company says several factors go into how it computes varying risks, in the instance of flood risk to include exposure to high-intensity rainfall, waterways overflowing their banks, and coastal storm surges.
© 2025 Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
