Scholars and designers of early warning systems say that there are still huge gaps in our ability to predict flash floods and warn those at risk.

Search crews continued the grueling task of recovering the missing as more potential flash flooding threatened Texas Hill Country.

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. And there’s no more dangerous time for a flash flood than after dark;

Straighter, smoother streams flow more violently than those that meander due to a reduction in friction. Areas with steeper terrain can see water accelerate downhill at a much faster rate causing a more destructive flash flood than flatter, open areas.

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.

At least three people were killed by historic flash floods in a New Mexico mountain community that suffered devastating wildfires last year, officials said late Tuesday.

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.

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.