The Buildings

Devastation of the WTC Complex on September 11th

Many people remarked that the World Trade Center site after the attack looked like it had been bombed. All seven buildings with World Trade Center addresses were "totaled", including Building 7, which was not even on the same block. Other nearby large buildings sustained significant damage, but none were so damaged as to warrant their demolition, at least within a year of the attack. Here is a rundown on what happened to each building.

• WTC 1 - the North Tower, was hit by a jet at 8:46 AM at around the 95th floor. At 10:28 AM it was leveled, excepting a few standing fragments of the outer wall.
• WTC 2 - the South Tower, was hit by a jet at 9:03 AM at around the 80th floor. At 9:59 AM. it was leveled, excepting a few standing fragments of the outer wall.
• WTC 3 - the New York Marriott World Trade Center Hotel, was severely damaged when the South Tower was leveled, and further damaged when the North Tower was leveled.
• WTC 4 - which housed business offices, was severely damaged when the South Tower was leveled.
• WTC 5 - which housed Port Authority Police offices and retail businesses, was severely damaged by the falling remains from the South Tower, and widespread fires.
• WTC 6 - which housed U.S. Customs offices, was severely damaged by falling remains from the North Tower, and widespread fires.
• WTC 7 - the secrecy-shrouded Building 7 which housed Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's emergency command center bunker, IRS, SEC, and Secret Service offices, and offices of banks and insurance companies, was leveled around 5:20 PM.

Before and after aerial photos of the World Trade Center, taken from the FEMA report.