A Flash Flood Warning was issued for several cities and towns south of Boston Thursday morning as heavy rain brought traffic to a crawl and clogged streets and highways.With rain coming down so fast,

A flash flood warning is in effect until 9 a.m. for Boston and several communities south of the city, including Brockton, Quincy, and Randolph, officials said Thursday morning. The National Weather Service also issued a flood watch that will remain in effect until 4 p.m. for Rhode Island and eastern portions of Massachusetts and Connecticut.

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.

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 .

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.

Heavy rainfall caused areas of flooding on I-93 and other major roadways in Massachusetts on Thursday morning.

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.

Along a similar vein, conspiracy theories maligning Doppler weather radars as “weather weapons” have heightened in the wake of flash floods in central Texas. Forecasters use the radar system to detect precipitation, and now have to worry about vigilantes vandalizing them at times when people rely on those forecasts to stay safe.