| On September 11, 2001 four airliners where | | | | it became a concern that local residents might |
| hijacked by terrorists and used as weapons to | | | | have been exposed to hazardous fumes, and |
| attack the United States. Two of the hijacked | | | | dust for a considerable period of time after the |
| aircraft where flown by the terrorists into the | | | | actual attack. Many of the rescue workers have |
| "Twin Towers" of the World Trade Center in | | | | since been diagnosed with health problems from |
| Manhattan. One was flown into the Pentagon, and | | | | the attack. |
| the last aircraft crashed before it could reach its | | | | The United States has not experienced an |
| intended target. | | | | economic setback of this magnitude since the |
| The devastation caused by the attack was | | | | great depression. The Federal Reserve Bank lost |
| unheard of and completely unexpected. Two | | | | contact with local banks due to outages in |
| thousand nine hundred and seventy three people | | | | communication. The telephone exchange that |
| where killed in the attack, and twenty four where | | | | handled service for the lower Manhattan area was |
| considered missing. Some companies whose | | | | damaged and phone service was interrupted as a |
| offices where located in the Twin Towers lost | | | | result. |
| huge percentages of their total staff. Others | | | | Local utilities including; power, phone, gas, and |
| where totally wiped out by the attack. | | | | water where cut off and many people were |
| Cantor Fitzgerald L.P. an investment bank lost 658 | | | | without basic services for a considerable period of |
| employees, while Marsh Inc. lost 295 employees. | | | | time. U.S. stocks lost $1.2 trillion in value and thirty |
| To everyone's horror the Twin Towers collapsed | | | | percent of lower Manhattan office space was |
| and 5 other buildings in the surrounding area | | | | completely destroyed. |
| suffered major damage including the Marriott | | | | As an international economic hub, the loss of data |
| Hotel, and two New York City subway stations. | | | | and critical information of all kinds had a |
| Twenty five other buildings suffered minor | | | | world-wide effect. The Airline industry |
| damage and all seven World Trade Center | | | | experienced a huge drop in traffic and had to cut |
| buildings had to be demolished. | | | | capacity by twenty percent in order to survive. |
| Radio, television, and two-way radio towers | | | | Not all disasters experienced by mankind are the |
| where destroyed, and local infrastructure including | | | | result of the natural elements. Some catastrophic |
| power, water, gas, and communications suffered | | | | events are caused by our own kind and have an |
| major interruptions. Some fires caused by the | | | | impact that equals or in some cases surpasses |
| attack burned for as long as 3 months after the | | | | those that Mother Nature may send our way. |
| initial impact of the aircraft. | | | | Regardless of the cause, disasters may come in |
| The effect the attack had on American society | | | | many forms with varying severity; the lesson, |
| was devastating, emotionally, culturally and | | | | however, remains the same. Always be prepared. |
| economically. Many schools closed for the day and | | | | |