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La Vita Bella nursing home: Texas elderly residents sat in waist-deep water before rescue

Posted at 4:18 AM, Aug 28, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-28 04:58:44-04

Rescuers were able to save 20 to 25 nursing home residents Sunday from La Vita Bella nursing home in Dickinson, Texas, after catastrophic flooding.

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About 25 inches of rain fell in the Dickinson, Texas area this weekend. Much of the city of Dickinson is flooded as area bayous have swelled.

Timothy McIntosh, whose mother-in-law owns the nursing home, tweeted a photo of the nursing home, and asked for help.

 

In the photo, several residents are seen sitting in the water, surrounded by flood water. 

Within several hours after the photo was tweeted, the residents were rescued.  

"We're very grateful," McIntosh told ABC News about the nursing home rescue. 

Although the nursing home residents were rescued, Texas officials are asking those who need rescued not to use social media. Instead, they recommend calling 911.

Rescue crews are backlogged, they are attempting to reach those who need rescued based on need.