Henri's Havoc on the East Coast 3:01
(CNN) -
Residents and rescuers in Middle Tennessee are working fervently Monday to find about 25 people still missing after a flash flood Saturday that killed at least 21 people.
Among the dead were 7-month-old twins, Humphreys County Emergency Management Agency spokesman Gray Collier told CNN on Monday.
Details on the deaths of the babies were not immediately available.
"We have experienced devastating loss of life," Waverly Police and Fire Chief Grant Gillespie said during a news conference Sunday afternoon.
Local officials have expressed shock since rain flooded the region on Saturday, washing away people, houses and vehicles as residents tried to escape the rushing water.
The flooding damaged infrastructure, schools, homes and other facilities in Waverly, Gillespie said.
The number of missing people continues to fluctuate as names are added to the list, while others are reported safely, Collier said.
The resumption of cell phone service has helped reduce the list of missing from 45, Gillespie said.
"We need patience and prayers," said Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis, adding that people should stay out of the area while they continue their operations.
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Rescue and recovery efforts "will continue until we account for all missing Tennesseans," said state emergency management agency director Patrick Sheehan.
"It's quite devastating on the ground," Sheehan explained, adding, "At this point, we will see primarily recovery efforts rather than rescue efforts."
Floods in Tennessee leave 21 dead and around 20 missing
Among the dead was a foreman who worked on Loretta Lynn's ranch in Humphreys County, a Facebook statement from the country music legend said Sunday.
Wayne Spears was his property's steward for a long time, according to the statement.
"Today there are no words at the ranch ... just tears. Our ranch family is our family," Lynn said in her Facebook post.
"He took good care of things here at the ranch for us. He is one of us and the entire Lynn family is heartbroken. Please pray for his precious family and friends."
The Tennessee Department of Health confirmed 16 deaths so far, Sheehan said, noting that the discrepancy with the number of victims reported by local authorities is due to the health department's strict process for validating the deaths.
Water flooded homes in minutes, says governor
About 430 millimeters of rain fell in a 24-hour period in McEwen, a city in Humphreys County, said Krissy Hurley, a coordinating advisory meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Nashville.
Once the total rainfall is made official, it will be a new state record, he said.
"We got rainfall rates of 70 millimeters per hour for three hours straight," Hurley said.
"It's an unheard of astronomical statistic to see after the fact."
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee examined the flood damage in Humphreys County on Sunday, calling it "a very tragic and difficult situation."
He cited a total of different rain.
The large amount of rain that fell, a record 350 millimeters, according to the governor, caused "devastating flooding in the community" and a "tremendous loss of life," Lee said.
Lee spoke to flood survivors and was surprised to hear how quickly their situation turned dire, he said.
"They would see water in their yard and then within minutes it would come to their house," Lee said, adding that residents went from "seeing the floods rise to not being able to escape from their homes."
Dozens of people missing after devastating North Carolina floods
Lee described the aftermath as tragic: "Houses razed to their foundations, cars strewn across the community. It's a devastating image of loss and pain," he said.
First responders, including the National Guard, will remain at the scene while search and rescue operations continue, the governor said.
"What we do know is that it is incredibly difficult, and our hearts and prayers must go out to these communities, for the people in that community, many of whom have suffered not only the loss of their homes and property, but also of the loss of family and friends, "Lee said.
Sheriff describes the pain of not being able to help everyone
When emergency services tried to enter the flood zone Saturday night, their effort was complicated by downed phone lines and flattened roads, Humphreys County Sheriff Davis said.
He compared it to the feeling of a mother unable to reach her child.
"Knowing that there are people who stayed who cannot get help ... I have people floating down the stream that no one can reach and no one can help. It hurts. It hurts," she said, holding back tears.
Waverly Mayor Buddy Frazier said the loss of life is unlike anything the city has experienced.
"I've been here a long time, and I've been through a lot of events here and this one really blew me away," said Frazier.
"This is bad, this is bad: the number of people it affected, the number of lives lost."
CNN's Keith Allen, Alta Spells and Kay Jones contributed to this report.
Floods