Statue of Liberty officially reopens for July 4th

Visitors poured off the ferry Thursday to greet the nation's gatekeeper. NBC's Katy Tur reports.

By Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC News

The Statue of Liberty reopened to visitors Thursday during an Independence Day ceremony, eight months after the island Lady Liberty calls home wasflooded and destroyed by Superstorm Sandy.

The National Park Service closed the site just a day after the statues crown had been reopenedfollowing a year of renovations.

Nine long months have passed since anyone has been allowed to visit the Statue of Liberty due to damage from Superstorm Sandy, but the nation's gatekeeper will be welcoming visitors once again, starting fittingly on Independence Day. NBC's Katy Tur reports.

Even though the storm surge covered 75 percent of the island, damaging New York Harbor docks andislandwalkways, as well as buildings and electrical systems, the statue managed to withstand the intensity of the storm.

The statue's 126-year-old iron framework designed by Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel allowed for the Statue of Liberty to withstand the storm's intense winds, the National Park Service said.

The agency brought in workers from all over the country to clean up the mess Sandy left behind. Meanwhile, it suggested moving the storm-battered security checkpoints to Ellis Island, which is a short ferry-ride away from Liberty Island. The New York Police Department argued that metal detectors should remain in Manhattans Battery Park to better ensure the safety of one of the nations most famous and visited landmarks.

The statues crown had been closed to visitors from 2001 to 2009, following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

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Statue of Liberty officially reopens for July 4th