Multiple parts of Central Texas, including Kerr County, were shocked by flash floods Friday when the Guadalupe River and others rose rapidly.

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.

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;

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.

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.

Flash flooding has been in the spotlight in the last week, with several record breaking flood events occurring nearly back-to-back across the country. CNN’s Tyler Ory explains why they’re becoming more intense .