Oliver Wing On the Future of Flood Risk Modeling

What if we could map every river, every coastline, and every floodplain on Earth — and use that knowledge to build a more climate-resilient future? It sounds ambitious, but this is exactly what UK-based Fathom has set out to do. The flood and climate risk intelligence company recently launched its Global Flood Cat model, capable of modeling all major flood perils — from burst riverbanks to coastal storm surges. Moreover, it can quantify the financial risk of these floods to all kinds of assets. This data is invaluable to insurers, banks, and other financial institutions nervous about how more frequent and severe floods could affect their portfolios. In today’s episode, Louie sits down with Dr. Oliver Wing, Chief Scientist at Fathom, to explore how cutting-edge flood modeling is transforming how we understand — and prepare for — climate risk. The conversation digs into where flooding happens and who gets hurt, unpacking the myriad variables that shape how floods impact real assets and financial institutions alike. Ollie also offers his frank perspective on the flood risk modeling community as a whole, explaining why transparency is the not-so-secret sauce to Fathom’s success to date. If you're curious about the intersection of climate science, risk modeling, and the pursuit of adaptation at scale, this conversation is for you. Sign up to climateproof.news for more news and insights on climate adaptation finance, tech, and policy. Questions? Comments? Email Louie at [email protected].