A decade later, the threat remains

Ten years later, the memories of Sept. 11, 2001, come rushing back to Rich Colarossi, a certified financial planner with Colarossi and Williams in Islandia, N.Y., a town on Long Island 50 miles from New York.

“We were at a morning conference in the Bronx at 8 a.m.,” he said

“Someone announced that a plane flew into one of the towers. They brought a TV in, and we all watched in amazement,” Mr. Colarossi said.

“We were getting calls from spouses and friends — they said we’d better get out. There were rumors that they were going to shut down all the bridges,” Mr. Colarossi said.

“As we raced over the bridge, we were listening to the news, three men crying. By the time we crossed the bridge, we heard that the second tower had collapsed,” Mr. Colarossi said.

There was no escape from the lingering fear.

“After that, when I needed to take the train to see clients in the city, I was not at ease,” Mr. Colarossi said.

“I was totally nervous. My friend, an Amtrak employee, was working overtime, watching the tunnels for terrorists,” Mr. Colarossi said.

“I would ask my friends, “How do you feel about commuting’ into the city, and they’d say, “We have no choice; we just have to have faith,’” Mr. Colarossi said.

He recalled the beginning of the color-coded terrorism alerts that have since been replaced by a new system.

“Ten years later, you can’t tell me the thought of terrorism still doesn’t cross your mind,” Mr. Colarossi said.

“There’s always that possibility,” he said. “Things can happen still.”