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.
“An angel then, a monster now!” An ordinary woman spent $400,000 to look like Barbie, and here she is now
The advancements in contemporary medicine are astounding!A remarkable change has occurred right before our eyes. To look like Barbie, she underwent plastic surgery for $400,000!You are not going to want to do this!Introducing Nannette Hammond, a completely transformed typical housewife from the past!Prepare to be amazed by her before and after photos in this post!The intended outcomes that plastic operations provide have led to their increasing commonality and extensive use in modern times.
Nannette Hammond is among the growing number of people who are seeking the services of cosmetologists and plastic surgeons rather than embracing the inevitable aging process.She was just an ordinary woman, but she has drastically altered her appearance, earning the moniker “fake Barbie.”
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA is her home.She raised her husband’s five children like any other wife would.But one day, the woman’s perspective shifted, and she made the decision to make significant adjustments.She underwent facial procedures to rejuvenate her appearance after first having breast augmentation.
She was soon to see the transformational potential of cosmetic procedures and was unstoppable.She now frequently dons provocative attire and flaunts her figure.While some respect her drive and tenacity, others would have rather seen her maintain her natural beauty and carry on as the unremarkable but endearing person she was prior to the disastrous plastic surgery procedure.
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