As the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 were unfolding in New York, Washington, D.C. and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, a hurricane was spinning off the Northeast coast.

One of the most chilling weather satellite images ever taken captured both Hurricane Erin, about 500 miles east-southeast of New York, and the smoke plume from the World Trade Center twin towers about two hours after the first tower was hit (shown in the upper-left inset of the image above).

On Sept. 10, 2001, a cold front swept through the East Coast with rain and thunderstorms. Crystal clear, cool weather followed on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 11.

"Temperatures at 9 a.m. that morning were 65 in New York and 70 in Washington, and warmed to 72 and 76, respectively, by 11 a.m. Winds were out of the northwest at 6 to 12 mph in both cities, which served to blow smoke and debris from the disaster in Lower Manhattan into Brooklyn," senior digital meteorologist Nick Wiltgen said.

While Hurricane Erin was never a threat to landfall in the Northeast, the cold front and increased westerly winds aloft gave a final east, then northeast shove to Erin.

In a strange coincidence, almost exactly 10 years after the Sept. 11 attacks, Hurricane Katia was spinning in almost the same location on Sept. 9, 2011 . As with Erin, Hurricane Katia made a hard-right turn before reaching the East Coast.

One can only wonder how the history books might have been rewritten if Hurricane Erin would've threatened the Northeast in September 2001.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Hurricane Eye Images