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 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.

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.

With the recent deadly flash floods​ in Texas and New Mexico, it's important to remember that monsoon season has begun for the southwestern part of our country and flooding is one of the hazards that comes along with it.

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.

Strong thunderstorms are expected to start firing up in the early evening Wednesday. And some storms could dump 2 to 3 inches of rain in one hour, forecasters say.

Rain came down fast and hard Wednesday night in Chicago, creating some hazardous situations not only for drivers, but for first responders who were busy rescuing people who were stuck in high waters. Whether it's a flood on the road or rushing water, some Chicago area firefighters said their training is everything.