Some Virginia first responders are part of the crews being sent to Texas to help with recovery efforts, after last weekend’s flooding left over 100 people dead.

The Virginia Beach Fire Department’s Swiftwater Rescue Team left at 5 p.m. Sunday and is scheduled to report to Austin by 6 a.m. Tuesday.

The group is one of about 30 throughout the state that gets called on to help with water rescues in the event of an emergency.

Jeff Smith, one of eight members of the team, said the crew also includes two boats and specialized equipment as part of what’s called a “Type III water response package.”

“Texas is anticipating another flood warning, so they put the request out through … an Emergency Management Assistance Compact,” which pushes out a request for assistance, he said.

Emergency workers are still searching for missing people in the days since the holiday weekend flooding.

In Kerr County, which hosts several summer camps, there have been 84 bodies found, including 28 kids, The Associated Press reported. Crews are working through debris to continue the search as more rain could be headed toward the region.

“This is more of a widespread swiftwater situation,” Smith said. “That is going to be a very challenging environment for us, just because of the dangers that are involved in it.”

Once in Austin, the group will work with state officials to determine where it will help, Smith said. The unit has its own tents, sleeping bags, food and water to keep them sustained for two days. They can remain on the scene for up to 15 days, but Smith said that would require a stay in a hotel, church or fire station that is functioning as a host for visiting crews.

The trip to Texas marks the Virginia Beach team’s fifth mission of its type. It has been in place since 2022.

“Our daily job that we deal with as a firefighter and working for the fire department, we are kind of used to the atmosphere, environment that we’re going into, the dangers and the community loss,” Smith said.

Because the flooding was deadly and destructive, Smith said the team is anticipating having to navigate “emotionally drained communities.”

“We are proud to support our partners in Texas during this challenging time,” Virginia Beach Fire Chief Ken Pravetz said in a statement on Sunday.