More than 150 residents relocated
BRADENTON, Fla. - After a scary evening at the Aviata at Bradenton Villas, more than 150 residents were safely relocated to sister facilities within the region.
Local leadership emphasized that resident well-being remained paramount throughout the process.
Manatee County Commissioner District 2, Amanda Ballard, stated that the priority for the county was ensuring the safety of every resident and making certain they were transferred to another facility where their needs would be fully met.
Aviata released a statement confirming that teams are working diligently to contact the families of relocated residents with updated information. The organization emphasized that everyone remains safe and is being cared for within their network of providers.
Courtesy: Aviata Health Group
Investigation into the cause of the collapse
Officials who evaluated the damage on-site noted that the situation could have been significantly worse, highlighting the fortunate timing that kept the dining room unoccupied during the incident.
The building was fully secured by 3:00 a.m. on Sunday.
Bradenton Fire Chief Tim Geer described the affected zone conservatively as a 100-by-100-foot area that impacted surrounding truss systems. Chief Geer pointed out that flat roofs during recent storm patterns tend to hold heavy volumes of water that can eventually overwhelm drainage systems.
Preliminary information gathered by officials indicates that the partial collapse may be tied to water intrusion and termite damage. The incident remains under active investigation.
The Source: Sources for this web article include interviews previously done by FOX13 on the scene as well as information provided by Bradenton Public Information Officer, Tiffany Shadick.