Brittany Viegas, chief communications officer with the Galveston County Office of Emergency Management, told BuzzFeed News in an email that there was "a huge rescue operation" and "first responders have evacuated and are in the process of transporting them to a medical facility."
The Galveston County Daily News reported 15 senior citizens were rescued via helicopter. There were initially questions about whether the viral photo was actually taken at La Vita Bella, but local media reported it was taken at the residence.
The Twitter user who appears to have initially tweeted the photo, Timothy McIntosh, told The Daily News that his mother-in-law owns La Vita Bella. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BuzzFeed News.