Twenty-four years after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, America continues to honor those killed that day and the many more who have since died from 9/11-related illnesses.
On September 11, 2001, 2,977 victims were killed in the attacks—not including the 19 hijackers. The toll includes 2,753 at the World Trade Center, 184 at the Pentagon, and 40 aboard Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. Among the fallen in New York were 343 FDNY firefighters and 23 members of the NYPD.
The loss has continued long after the smoke cleared. The New York City Fire Department now lists more than 400 members who have died from World Trade Center–related illnesses—surpassing the 343 firefighters lost on 9/11. At an FDNY ceremony this week, 39 additional names were added to the department’s memorial wall in Brooklyn.
The health impacts reach far beyond New York. The federal World Trade Center Health Program (administered by CDC/NIOSH) reports more than 134,000 currently enrolled members—responders and survivors—receiving monitoring or treatment for certified 9/11-related conditions. Florida ranks third among all states with 9,507 currently enrolled members. (Program data through March 31, 2025.)
Independent reporting based on WTC Health Program data indicates a sharp rise in cancer diagnoses linked to 9/11 exposure—nearly 50,000 cancer cases to date—and notes that over 8,200 program enrollees have died, including more than 3,700 deaths involving cancer. (The Program itself cautions that “deceased members include all causes of death” and does not attribute each death to WTC exposure.) Even with that caveat, the count of post-9/11 deaths among those affected has surpassed the 2,977 lives lost on the day of the attacks.
Identification efforts also continue. In August 2025, New York City officials announced three new identifications of World Trade Center victims, bringing the total identified to 1,653. Roughly 1,100 victims from the WTC site still have not been identified as forensic teams keep working with advancing DNA technology.
The NYPD continues to honor the 23 officers killed that day and the growing number lost since to 9/11-related illnesses. Families of firefighters, police, construction workers, volunteers, office workers, and Lower Manhattan residents continue to navigate cancers, respiratory disease, and other long-term conditions tied to the toxic dust and debris from Ground Zero.
For many, 9/11 is not just a date in history—it is an ongoing public-health chapter. The World Trade Center Health Program and the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) remain in place to support responders and survivors. The VCF reports awarding $14.9 billion to more than 65,600 claimants since reopening in 2011.
As communities across the country pause for moments of silence and name-readings each September, the numbers tell a difficult truth: the human toll of 9/11 did not end in 2001. It continues, silently and steadily, in hospitals, at memorial walls, and around family tables—here in Florida and nationwide.
Editor’s Notes (sourcing and context for readers):
• Official 9/11 death toll and location breakdown per Encyclopaedia Britannica.
• FDNY post-9/11 illness deaths now exceed 400 per NYC media coverage of FDNY memorial events.
• WTC Health Program enrollment (including Florida’s 9,507 current members) from CDC/NIOSH quarterly program summary, March 31, 2025.
• Aggregate counts of cancer diagnoses and deaths among program enrollees based on WTC Program data as reported in recent coverage; CDC notes deaths among enrollees are “all causes.”
• Ongoing OCME identifications (three new in Aug. 2025; ~1,100 still unidentified).
