Zillow removed climate risk scores, because property-level modeling is not foolproof

""You have to know something about the individual structure - its foundation, the presence of a basement, first-floor height," says Howard Botts, chief scientist of Cotality. Each assumption that a model makes, implicitly or explicitly, adds another layer: land slope, a building's use, how many stories it has. 'Climate risk' is much more than just the physical hazard," agrees Adam Pollack. "The relationship of hazard and the built environment - and damage - is the actual risk."

"The main issue though was that the risk models behind the scores were not reliable enough. Most climate models are abstract and high level out of necessity. Assessing risk at the individual level is tricky, especially when there are so many variables to consider. Plus, in the case of individual homes, the value of each is especially relevant to both buyers and sellers. You can't just give a sweeping aggregate."

Zillow removed climate risk scores because the underlying models were not reliable enough for individual properties. Accurate property-level risk assessment requires details about each structure, such as foundation type, presence of a basement, and first-floor height. Every model assumption — land slope, building use, number of stories — adds uncertainty. Climate risk is the combination of physical hazard and the built environment's vulnerability. Most climate models are intentionally high-level and abstract, making individual-level assessments difficult. Many variables affect outcomes, and property values make aggregate scores inadequate for buyers and sellers.

Read at FlowingData