Between 20 and 25 residents of a nursing home in Dickinson, Texas, have been rescued after a shocking photo of seniors helplessly sitting in several feet of floodwater went viral Sunday.

The image was reportedly taken at the La Vita Bella nursing home, which is located south-east of Houston. It showed at least six residents wearing nightgowns and on sitting in armchairs while waiting to be rescued.

Stirred by the photo, thousands of social media users called for the immediate evacuation and rescue of the elderly residents.

The Galveston Office of Emergency Management later told CNN that the pensioners who "were up to their waist" in water had been rescued from the facility, adding that first responders in the area were facing serious challenges as a result of the high water levels and lack of resources such as equipment and personnel.

"We were air-lifting grandmothers and grandfathers," emergency management coordinator David Popoff told the Daily News.

Several media sources also previously claimed that the nursing home in question was instructed not to evacuate and was instead told to stay in place and administer a disaster plan.

Hurricane Harvey was the most powerful storm to hit Texas in over 50 years, killing at least two people and stranding thousands.

Experts warned that the death toll could rise as additional tornadoes and heavy rainfall are expected to hit the region.