Statue of Liberty

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 was flooded and destroyed by Superstorm Sandy.

The National Park Service closed the site just a day after the statue’s crown had been reopened following 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 and island walkways, as well as buildings and electrical systems, the statue managed to withstand the intensity of the storm.''