At least 21 people are dead and 20 are missing after middle Tennessee was hit with record rainfall Friday into Saturday morning.

The flooding in the region caused cars to be tossed like toys and houses ripped off their foundations, officials said.

A preliminary rainfall total of 17.02 inches was measured at McEwen, Tennessee, Saturday, which would break the all-time 24-hour rainfall record for the state of Tennessee, according to the National Weather Service. The old record was 13.06 inches, recorded in Milan on Sept. 13, 1982.

Authorities, who said the numbers would be fluid throughout the search and rescue efforts, initially said 22 people died and up to 60 people are missing. However, Sunday night Grey Collier, public information officer for Humphreys County Emergency Management, told ABC News that the current death toll from the flooding is 21, with approximately 20 people missing.

Collier says the number of missing is drastically dropping now that cell service is slowly being re-established.

And according to Collier, the Waverly’s Public Safety Department said fatalities are not expected to increase significantly.

The Waverly, Tennessee, Department of Public Safety posted a list of those who are potentially missing. The list doesn’t include missing children, Collier said.

Humphreys County is located along the Tennessee River, about 90 minutes west of Nashville.

“We have power outages all over the area,” Rob Edwards, chief deputy with the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office, said. “Complicating issues is the loss of all cell phone coverage from the major carriers. They are bringing in portable units to assist with communications. We have lost a lot of roads both rural and major highways. In my 28 years, it’s the worst I’ve ever seen it.”

President Joe Biden expressed his “deepest condolences” for the victims and families of the flash flooding during a news conference Sunday evening. He said the federal government has reached out to Gov. Bill Lee.

“We’ll offer any assistance they need for this terrible moment,” Biden said.

Lee was scheduled to give an update Sunday evening.

Flash flood watches were in effect across much of central Tennessee on Saturday.

The Hardin County Fire Department, which went to assist nearby Humphreys County, called the destruction “unbelievable” and said search teams would return to the region on Sunday morning.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency warned people to avoid traveling in Humphreys, Houston, Dickson and Hickman counties.

The Red Cross said it had opened emergency shelters at the YMCA Dickson County in Dickson; the Fairfield Church of Christ in Centerville; and the Waverly Church of Christ and Waverly First Baptist Church in Waverly.

ABC News’ Max Golembo, Victoria Arancio, Will McDuffie and Matt Foster contributed to this report.