September 11 Digital Archive

email205.xml

Title

email205.xml

Source

born-digital

Media Type

email

Created by Author

unknown

Described by Author

yes

Date Entered

2002-08-11

September 11 Email: Body

Dear friends,

Thank you for your e-mails expressing your concerns over the events fo the
last few days... it has been, as you can imagine, an unbelievable, almost
surreal set of events. All hospitals in the entire metropolitan area have
been placed on highest alert, esential personnel are being required to stay
in house at all times... I myself have only just returned from long evening
of anticipation and seemingly eternal stress. The stream of casualties has
been slow... a mixed blessing, in that it has been manageable, while on the
other hand, the slower the pace, the poorer prognosis.

The city is literally under "martial law"... all bridges and tunnels have
been closed, mass transit is at a standstill, and businesses are largely
shut down... driving into the city today (as medical personnel) traffic
congested streets were vacant... there is a palpable sense of foreboding,
and deep concern. The extent of the trauma is not yet realized... an
estimated 10,000 people were in the WTC buildings at the start of the
business day. I returned home this evening to see a gathering of 8 children
under the care of a resident in my building... each of whom who's parents
have not "returned from work" in the financial district...

There is a overhanging, nauseating smell of burning rubber that lingers over
the city, and perhaps most physically evident, a gaping hole where the twin
towers used to mark the NYC skyline.

It may seem cliché now to speak of the "spirit of New Yorkers", but I can
tell you, there is a remarkable outpouring of volunteerism, hlines in blood
donation lines, hundreds deep, and people opening their doors to firemen,
and police to take a nap or take a shower. It is incredible. ON the
medical personnel front, this disaster is larger than any of us could have
imagined... and the medical students and residents that make up the backbone
of the health care network in NYC have been truly heroic in their efforts.

As the events unfold in upcoming days, we can only hope for the best...

September 11 Email: Date

9/13/01

September 11 Email: Subject

Citation

“email205.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 2, 2024, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/38546.