The Lady Stands Tall Once More

As I mentioned in this morning's StupidiNews, the Statue of Liberty is finally reopening to the public today after having been closed since Hurricane Sandy.

She didn’t even get her skirt wet.

Yet when Hurricane Sandy caused a wall of harbor water to wash over her island home, Lady Liberty was forced to close up shop for months.

She reopens to visitors today amid fanfare — visiting dignitaries, fireworks, music.

And while it came down to the wire, the National Park Service was able to repair the docks at Liberty State Park in time for tourists to be able to leave from the New Jersey side, too. 

While the statue itself was undamaged by the storm, the buildings and landscaping around it took a hit that federal officials estimated would cost $59 million to repair. 

Some of that damage was cosmetic: The storm surge swept aside walkway pavers and even small monuments in its path — with some objects from Liberty Island ending on along the Jersey City waterfront. 

The biggest problem was below ground, however, where floodwaters damaged heating and cooling equipment, sewage treatment equipment and most of the island’s power supply.

The good news is Lady Liberty is ready to go after the island's tune-up and stands once again as a symbol of the United States of America.  It's good enough news to make you want to go down to Coney Island and have a hot dog or 69.