Donna Fagersten had taken refuge at a friend’s home on the top floor as Hurricane Helene tore through northern Florida, leaving a devastating trail of destruction and more than 100 casualties in the southeastern U.S.
As the storm appeared to calm, the 66-year-old teacher, just days away from her retirement, made a fateful choice to return home to rescue her cat.
When Hurricane Helene hit Florida on September 26, 2024, around 11 p.m., the Category 4 storm triggered flash floods, forcing residents to scramble for safety. One of the hardest-hit areas was Pinellas County, particularly in the Tampa Bay region, where at least 11 people lost their lives.
Among the victims was Donna Fagersten, a second-grade teacher from Ponce De Leon Elementary in Pinellas County.
According to her best friend Heather Anne Boles, Donna was set to retire the following week after dedicating 35 years to teaching. When the storm hit, Donna sought shelter with Boles and her partner, Mike Moran. As the storm surge rushed in, they retreated to the third floor of Boles’ mother’s home, across from the beach where Donna lived.
Boles recalled that as the storm seemed to settle, Donna insisted on going home to check on her cat, despite Boles’ pleas to stay. Tragically, another surge and high winds returned, battering the coastline.
A neighbor later came to their shelter, reporting that someone had been found floating in the parking garage. They quickly pulled Donna from the water and began CPR, but despite their efforts and the arrival of fire rescue by boat, they were unable to revive her.
Detectives later confirmed that Donna had drowned in her home, which had been flooded with water.
Family and friends have since remembered Donna as a “beautiful person” who was deeply committed to her students and community. In a Facebook post, Mary Gleason Lyons, a colleague and friend, described Donna as a dedicated teacher with a big heart, touching the lives of many students over her 35-year career.
Online tributes poured in, with former students and friends expressing their sadness at her passing and remembering her kindness and warmth.
While Boles and Moran are now left to clean up after the floods, which destroyed most of their belongings, the loss of their best friend is what hurts the most. “This is the worst we have ever seen,” Boles said, reflecting on the storm’s destruction compared to Hurricane Irma, where they managed to keep their home and belongings intact.
On a positive note, Donna’s cat survived, and her friends are working to find him a new home.
Hurricane Helene, which cut a destructive 800-mile path northward, left more than 2 million homes without power and claimed over 100 lives, according to USA Today.
The fishing trip my wife took marked the beginning of the end for our marriage
When the trust is broken, nothing can ever be the same.
Mark started raising suspicions when his wife Lisa decided to take solo fishing trips. Somehow, Mark knew that this need to spend time away from him had something to do with their neighbor Sam, who was also an affectionate fisherman.
One day, Lisa posted what seemed like an innocent photo online, but there was something on it that convinced Mark that he had all the right to suspect his wife was involved with Sam.
On the photo, Lisa was proudly holding a branded fishing rod that Mark knew belonged to Sam. When he confronted his wife, she denied having anything to do with their neighbor and claimed she only borrowed the fishing rod, but Mark’s gut told him she wasn’t telling the truth.
He thought long and hard and realized he couldn’t get over the fact that his trust in his wife was completely shaken. He pondered the importance of transparency in a relationship and knew it lacked from his and his wife’s.
Eventually, he decided to file for divorce.
Lisa’s photo marked the beginning of the end of their relationship and became the catalyst for the collapse of their trust.
This story is yet another proof that marital bonds can be broken easily when there are hidden truths between the partners.
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