Read the following passages about the risk of flooding in the United States. They both make similar arguments, but they use different claims and evidence. Which one of the two uses better evidence?
Passage 1
Anywhere it rains, it can flood. A flood is a general and temporary condition where two or more acres of normally dry land or two or more properties are inundated by water or mudflow. Many conditions can cause a flood: hurricanes, overtopped levees, outdated or clogged drainage systems, and rapid accumulation of rainfall.
Just because you haven't experienced a flood in the past, doesn't mean you won't in the future. Flood risk isn't just based on history, it's also based on a number of factors: rainfall, river-flow and tidal-surge data, topography, flood-control measures, and changes due to building and development.
Flood-hazard maps have been created to show different degrees of risk for your community, which help determine the cost of flood insurance. The lower the degree of risk, the lower the flood insurance premium.
Passage 2
Flooding happens every day in all regions of the country. Consumers must prepare for flooding no matter where they live. The Northeast can be affected by remnants of tropical disturbances in the summer but is also threatened by winter flooding, nor'easters, and the threat of rapid spring melts. The Midwest experiences major river flooding—illustrated by the catastrophic floods of 1993 and 2008. The West Coast's intense flooding season typically spans November through March and results in millions of dollars in damage for residents each year.
Many consumers think that flooding related to hurricanes and other tropical disturbances are limited to coastal areas. However, some of the most damaging flooding can happen well inland and days after a storm makes its initial landfall. In 2007, Ohio, which has no ocean coastline, received more than $44 million in flood insurance payments.
Although many floods are caused by huge storms like hurricanes or nor'easters, more floods occur every day and can result from small, localized events, such as a typical afternoon thunderstorm.