story2908.xml

story2908.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I was just exiting the path train at Christopher Street on the morning of 9/11/01 at about 8:50 am and was walking south on Hudson Street on my way to work when I saw many groups of people all looking up at the twin towers. I though maybe somebody saw someone jump. When I looked up I saw a huge hole in the upper portion of the north tower. There were flames coming out of the hole and my first thought was that something had exploded at that floor. Or maybe a helicopter or small engine plane had a horrible accident and flew into the tower. Working in NYC for some time, you become immune - even to something like this believe it or not.

It was only until I got upstairs to my office that complete pandamonium had erupted. We got the reports of all of these horrific terrorist acts. Nobody could believe it. I think we were all shocked. Our phone did not either. I live in Hoboken and my husband works in NJ - that morning I could not reach him until about 11am. When I got through - he was frantic and overjoyed at hearing my voice as I was his. At this point, everyone was getting out of NYC and crossing over to NJ and outer NY boroughs. I made it to mid-town pier and waited on line for a ferry with literally thousands of other people. There was absolute silence. I think we were all so happy and feeling lucky to be alive.

I'll never forget boarding that ferry and as we crossed the Hudson, looking at all the smoke and devastation.

And feeling utterly helpless and heartbroken for all of those poor souls who lost their lives and were still in the middle of such horror.

I think I was praying to make it over that river alive - still scared at what might still happen -- and thanking God at that same time for keeping me alive.