How 9/11 Grips NYC, 20 Years Later

Two decades after 9/11, our team looked at how the terror attacks reverberate — and how they’ve taken on an additional resonance as we grapple with a new set of unexpected challenges.

Contributors: City Staff

In the midst of one crisis destined to define our times, we’re confronted with a grim milestone of another unprecedented tragedy that’s shaped the city we’ve become. Some 20 years after 9/11, our team looked at how the terror attacks reverberate — and how they’ve taken on an additional resonance as we grapple with a new set of unexpected challenges.

8 Total Updates Since
September 07, 2021 06:10 PM

Follow this stream

Port Authority Cop Who Survived 13 Hours Under Collapsed Towers Shares Message of Darkness and Light

By Ibrahim Naber

Will Jimeno was buried under the rubble when the Twin Towers collapsed on 9/11. It took him years to start emerging from feelings of guilt, anger and fear: “I want to inspire people to know that you can overcome whatever tragedy you have.”
‘Luckiest Man Alive’: Why 9/11 First Responders’ Outlooks May Improve Even as Physical Health Fails

By Michael McAuliff

Ailing first responders consistently report better mental health-related quality of life than average Americans, a new FDNY study found. Cases in point: NYPD Det. Luis Alvarez and Firefighter Ray Pfeifer, who fought for the Victim Compensation Fund Act before they died.
How Towers Tragedy Reverberates in Staten Island, a Ferry Ride Away From Ground Zero

By Katie Honan

While the physical damage of the Trade Center attacks was concentrated in Lower Manhattan, the emotional fallout could be felt miles away in neighborhoods where victims had lived. In the city’s least populous borough, the loss is “ingrained in our DNA.”
COVID Death Toll Among 9/11 First Responders and Survivors Nears Grim Milestone

By Samantha Maldonado

Almost 100 people enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program have died from the virus, though advocates believe many others beyond the registry have succumbed. Meanwhile, thousands left vulnerable by 9/11 illnesses have contracted COVID.
Lessons From NYC’s Children of 9/11 Help the Kids of COVID as School Resumes

By Samantha Maldonado

The terror attacks showed how schools can offer mental health support after an unprecedented crisis, experts say. But because no two disasters are the same, the city faces new challenges in helping students forever upended by the pandemic.
NYC Murals Paint Enduring Pictures of Remembrance, 20 Years After 9/11

By Katie Honan

From handball courts to building walls, New Yorkers have filled neighborhoods across the city with heartfelt tributes to those lost. Some murals have weathered the years, while new works bring the art of mourning to the present.
How Bullying and Spying on Muslims After 9/11 Spawned a Justice-Seeking Generation

By Claudia Irizarry Aponte

The exposure of the NYPD’s sprawling surveillance program is seen as a turning point for many in the Muslim and South Asian communities — a moment that galvanized neighbors to organize and become more civically engaged.
Memories of 9/11 From Inside New York City Public School Classrooms

By Gabrielle Birkner, Chalkbeat