Abstract: With the acceleration of urbanization and continuous advancement of overhead line burial projects, the use of power cables in urban power grids had become increasingly widespread. Stable operation of cables was crucial for the safety and stability of power grid and was closely related to daily life of city residents. Based on statistical data of 10 kV distribution cable failures in some urban areas of Shanghai from 2018 to 2023, main factors affecting the risk of cable external force damage were deeply analyzed. Besides, a risk assessment model for distribution cable external force damage based on fuzzy mathematics was constructed. Example verification showed that the model could effectively reflect external damage risk level of the construction site where the cable was located, providing a quantitative basis for the operation, maintenance, and development of cables.