The Effect of Hurricane Sandy on National Park Sites in New York

We have been writing a series on our National Parks for the last few months. This morning I came to New York and found that two of our National Monuments were damaged and are currently closed. So today we are going to feature the effect Hurricane Sandy had on these two historic places.

It has been more than a month since Hurricane Sandy roared up the East Coast, making landfall on October 29 in southern New Jersey. The storm affected nearly 70 national park sites, including all 15 in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area, from Sandy Hook (part of Gateway National Recreation Area) in New Jersey to St. Paul's Church National Historic Site in Mt. Vernon, N.Y., from Morristown National Historical Park in New Jersey to Fire Island National Seashore on Long Island.

Statue Of Liberty National Monument 
The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886, designated as a National Monument in 1924 and restored for her centennial on July 4, 1986.

Statue of Liberty National Monument sustained damage in the storm and will remain closed while The National Park Service continues to repair and stabilize the monument.

Ellis Island
"Island of Hope, Island of Tears"
How far would you travel to find a better life? What if the journey took weeks under difficult conditions?  If you answered "Whatever it takes," you echo the feelings of the 12 million+ immigrants who passed through “America's Golden Door” from 1892 to 1954. Ellis Island afforded them the opportunity to attain the American dream for themselves and their descendants.

Ellis Island is currently closed following Hurricane Sandy. While there is little damage to the museum collection in the Immigration Building at Ellis Island, there is significant damage to the infrastructure. Doors and windows in the Ferry Building were severely damaged, as were exhibits in the building. There is significant damage to mechanical systems and the fire suppression system has been threatened. There was also standing water in the basement of the Immigration Building where the concessioners' supplies are stored.

An Incident Management Team is currently on site, gathering data that will be used to determine the full extent of the damage, the costs to repair it, and how long it is likely to take. Although a projected reopening date has not been established, data from the initial reports has determined it will not occur in 2012. 

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