Back-to-back flooding disasters in recent years — in Texas, New Mexico and Kentucky, among many others — have showed that preparing for flash flooding is a new necessity as the planet warms.

Recent flash flooding in Texas​, New Mexico​ and North Carolina​ is highlighting the extreme danger of these natural disasters and the need to be prepared.

A flash flood is a rapid rise of water along a stream or in a low-lying urban area, the National Weather Service said. Flash flooding can result from slow-moving thunderstorms, from numerous thunderstorms that develop repeatedly over the same area, or from heavy rains associated with tropical cyclones.

A map from AccuWeather warned that the highest-risk areas for flash flooding are Southern New Jersey, Southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, much of Maryland, Eastern and Central Virginia and Northern North Carolina. Downpours associated with the storms could be severe enough to cause travel disruptions and flash floods, the map said.

Here's what to know about the deadly flooding, the colossal weather system that drove it and ongoing efforts to identify victims.

Major I-95 cities -- Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia -- could be impacted as heavy downpours could bring 2-3 inches of rainfall per hour over already saturated soils, which could easily cause flash flooding.