story220.xml
Title
story220.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-03-11
911DA Story: Story
The morning was stunningly gorgeous, and we had so much to look forward to--visitors from Europe, a full business schedule, flights to Europe and then Japan for the following week.
I work at the New York City Economic Development Corporation--then Mayor Giuliani's official economic arm for the City.
At about 8:50 am, our President heard the news of the first attack; when the second attack hit, he came on the loudspeaker and asked everyone to evacuate. We all exited and formed along John Street, with a view of the burning towers. People were running from the WTC, and we could see people jumping out of the towers away from the flames. How horrifying to think of their choice.
People kept flocking out of the offices onto the street; everyone was trying to call home from cell phones. Andrews deli was crowded because its pay phones were working.
After about 10 minutes, we all decided it was best to go home. For me, that was just a few more blocks away at the South Street Seaport. My co-worker and I could see the towers from my apartment, and as we heard the news on TV, we watched both towers come down.
People were rushing on foot across the Brooklyn Bridge. When the towers collapsed, clouds of smoke and dust covered the people and the bridge, and the wind was blowing to the east to envelope them. We didn't know what was in that air--biological poisons maybe?
After the collapses, there was dead silence. I went on the roof to try to see what was happening. No one but emergency personnel and a few stragglers were on the streets. At 6, the lights went out and I had to make my way down the dark stairway to my apartment. All I could think of were those people jumping and the people who must have died in the dark stairwells of the Trade Center.
I grabbed my dog, a flashlight, a battery-powered radio and a few clothes and made my way out of the empty apartment building to Chinatown. For two weeks, I was out of a home; our office was evacuated for two weeks; and we worked at the Brooklyn Army Terminal setting up a hotline to provide business help. Everyone from our office is safe, but we have all been affected deeply.
I work at the New York City Economic Development Corporation--then Mayor Giuliani's official economic arm for the City.
At about 8:50 am, our President heard the news of the first attack; when the second attack hit, he came on the loudspeaker and asked everyone to evacuate. We all exited and formed along John Street, with a view of the burning towers. People were running from the WTC, and we could see people jumping out of the towers away from the flames. How horrifying to think of their choice.
People kept flocking out of the offices onto the street; everyone was trying to call home from cell phones. Andrews deli was crowded because its pay phones were working.
After about 10 minutes, we all decided it was best to go home. For me, that was just a few more blocks away at the South Street Seaport. My co-worker and I could see the towers from my apartment, and as we heard the news on TV, we watched both towers come down.
People were rushing on foot across the Brooklyn Bridge. When the towers collapsed, clouds of smoke and dust covered the people and the bridge, and the wind was blowing to the east to envelope them. We didn't know what was in that air--biological poisons maybe?
After the collapses, there was dead silence. I went on the roof to try to see what was happening. No one but emergency personnel and a few stragglers were on the streets. At 6, the lights went out and I had to make my way down the dark stairway to my apartment. All I could think of were those people jumping and the people who must have died in the dark stairwells of the Trade Center.
I grabbed my dog, a flashlight, a battery-powered radio and a few clothes and made my way out of the empty apartment building to Chinatown. For two weeks, I was out of a home; our office was evacuated for two weeks; and we worked at the Brooklyn Army Terminal setting up a hotline to provide business help. Everyone from our office is safe, but we have all been affected deeply.
Collection
Citation
“story220.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 12, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/18827.