I think Hurricane Katrina was worse from the aspect of the lack of intervention by the government until it was too late. It is not just the death toll, it is the rebuilding process required to get the community back up and fully functioning that has not been fully provided, however, the media attention and internation profile of Katrina was nothing like September 11.
I remember getting out of the car to get the early morning train and hearing a news report that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Centre tower. I travelled the hour into work and when I got there a small group of people were already in the building and were watching the TV. I could not believe what I was seeing, it really took a minute to comprehend. I remember seeing people on the street trying to escape the dust and debris when the tower went down, I remember seeing the people on the street and in nearby buildings screaming as others jumped out of windows to escape the flames. I remember the phone calls from people trapped in the towers, and from people on the plane that was forced down by the crew and passengers to prevent another target being hit by the plane. I remember the voices and transcripts of the calls. There were tears, and people were scared and didn't want to die, but even with their situation, they wanted to call someone they loved, and tell them they loved them, that everything would be ok and to pass on messages of love to others that they would not be able to farewell themselves. People on the plane that went down in Pennsylvania rang their loved ones and one of the flight attendants called hr husband, told him she loved him and to look after the kids and asked for suggestions of what else the passengers and crew could use as weapons to try and get the upper hand and reclaim control of the plane.
For me, the sacrifice and bravery shown by ordinary people and the emergency services was incredible, and the images and voices affected me deeply and even 6years on I still think of the phone calls, the people searching for relatives and friends that worked in the tower, the removal and sifting of rubble from the WTC site to identify remains and the people jumping from the building to avoid the flames and I still cry. As terrible as September 11 was, and still is, I also see a little bit of hope that people going through a horrendus time can band together, think of others and respect the memory of the dead.
Without being an American, I remember the date September 11, and think of these people I did not even know, whose voices I only heard for a few seconds, and I am affected, and will be forever by what I saw and heard on TV and read in newspapers.
Some of the analysts on PBS(Public TV) were remarking on how none of the candidates at the Republican debate had the stones to even mention the 'B' word.
