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.

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.

An analysis of National Weather Service job vacancies found that in more than a third of offices overseeing flash flood hotspots, one or more of three senior leadership roles are open.

Flash flooding from heavy rain killed at least three people and prompted dozens of rescues in the Ruidoso area of southern New Mexico, officials said — the same area devastated by wildfires last year.

There are new concerns over hyperbaric chambers after an Arizona physical therapist was killed by a "flash fire" while inside his clinic's own chamber, according to the local fire department. The fire and circumstances are still under investigation.