The Day the Towers Collapsed

I am originally from New York. I lived in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, New York. My family is still there and several work in Manhattan. As soon as I saw the tower burning I called my sister at work. She hadn't seen the TV but some one had a radio on. No one thought it was that serious at the time. Everyone trusted the fire department and police to be able to help and save lives. I could tell from my sister's voice she was calm and happy to receive my call. As I spoke with her another report came in and someone said a black cloud of smoke covered the area. I told her, "Get out of there and come home."

By then transportation out of New York was closed. It makes me wonder why the Mayor didn't arrange for buses for take people out of Manhattan when he suggested that everyone leave? One of the messengers from her office arrived. He'd been at the WTC and was injured. He was treated by an EMT. They all realized how serious this situation was and my sister was allowed to go home. Only the trains were stopped! My sister walked from her office towards the 59th Street bridge. She said everyone was quiet, probably in shock. A kindly woman, a stranger, offered her a ride over the bridge. She was home safe, but hearing the news and knowing the scope of this tragedy she was deeply upset. She couldn't even talk to me for long. I understood.

Next my son called me to see how I was. Even though we are in Connecticut and far from the towers, he was worried about me emotionally. We needed to contact the rest of our family who either worked in Manhattan or frequented Manhattan. I called my brother in Long Island and found out he usually went to Manhattan to meet a friend at a restaurant. Fortunately he didn't go that day. His two daughters, my nieces, work in Manhattan but not in the area of the WTC. He said they were okay. I was relieved, my family was safe. So many others found out their families weren't safe.

A family in Easton Connecticut, a mother, father, and young child were on the second plane that hit the towers. Their town was in mourning for the family. A reporter from our local TV station learned his brother-in-law was killed in one of the towers. The tragedy touched everyone's lives even if you didn't have any family in Manhattan. It was a dark day for everyone.

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