The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services has deployed more than a dozen Urban Search and Rescue teams to help find the more than 170 people believed to be missing after a destructive wall of water killed over 100 people along the Guadalupe River in central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend.
The deployment includes four Human Remains Detection Teams, including a total of eight K-9s. The teams are from Los Angeles County, Riverside City and Menlo Park fire departments and the Orange County Fire Authority.
"The scale of loss and devastation Texas is experiencing right now is unfathomable. California is proud to lend a helping hand to our fellow Americans," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a press release.
The full extent of the flooding catastrophe has yet to be revealed as officials warned that unaccounted victims could still be found amid the massive piles of debris that stretch for miles.
The K-9s and teams flew out Wednesday morning from LAX to San Antonio, where they will immediately get to work.
"We're prepared for the worst. Hopefully we're just out there (to) do our best without getting injured and assist all the other agencies that are out there, and find people's loved ones," said Capt. Celina Serrano with the L.A. County Fire Department.
Serrano and her K-9 Prentiss are part of the search and rescue teams that will be combing through the debris fields.
"We've been doing this for about the last 10 years as a team, constantly training. We've been deployed for the last few disasters," Serrano said.
Most recently, the K-9s were deployed to North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Firefighter-paramedic Jonathan Munguia and K-9 Clifford expect to encounter similar conditions in Texas.
"He was doing some operations there involving some flood-type areas - debris, mud, so he does have some practical experience as well on top of his training," said Munguia.
The OCFA also deployed two K-9 detection teams to assist.
Both agencies are proud to provide relief to communities affected by the tragedy.
"Even though we're a small component of this help, it just feels good that L.A. County will be there helping," said Captain Sheila Kelliher Berkoh.
In Texas, five campers and one counselor are still missing from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp that was hit hard by the flash flooding. Twenty-seven campers and counselors have been confirmed dead.
Meanwhile, questions are being raised about how and if this tragedy could have been prevented. Texas' Kerr County, where at least 90 bodies have been found, does not have a flash flood warning system.
President Trump is expected to visit the affected areas on Friday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.