JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — September 11th 2001 was a tragic day that we all remember all too well.
One of the most haunting images from that day was via satellite imagery where you could see a smoke plume moving south away from New York City. This being so clearly visible due to clear skies that day following a passing front which kicked a hurricane off of the coast to the east.
That storm being Hurricane Erin, which if it only wavered a few hundred miles could have changed history.
One can only speculate how history could have been different if the storm approached the coast. It’s fair to assume though that with two of the high jacked flights departing from Boston, and the others from Newark and Washington DC that flights would have been delayed or cancelled.
September 11th is only a day after the peak of hurricane season so having a storm in the area this time of year is not unheard of. Since the mid 1800s on record six hurricanes have tracked over New York City in the month of September including 1985s Hurricane Gloria.
Of course there was many factors that came into play on September 11th 2001 and if this scenario did play out who knows if it would have only delayed their plans. But it is a look at how weather played a role in one of the deadliest days of American History.