Protecting Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island: Rising Tides

The document details how Hurricane Sandy and rising sea levels caused extensive damage to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in 2012, resulting in an estimated $77 million in losses and significant economic disruption to tourism. It explains that sea levels in the New York area have risen by over 1.5 feet since the 1850s, exacerbating storm surges. In response, the National Park Service is implementing resilience measures, such as elevating electrical systems up to 20 feet, as part of a broader effort to manage climate change risks for coastal properties.

• Hurricane Sandy caused an estimated $77 million in damage to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island on October 29, 2012, submerging most of both islands and destroying critical operating systems.
• The storm's impact was intensified by climate change, specifically sea levels in the New York area rising by more than 1.5 feet since the 1850s and unusually warm upper-ocean temperatures in the North Atlantic.
• The closures following the storm caused severe economic losses for Statue Cruises, which saw its annual ridership of nearly 4 million drop by over 50%, an 80% loss in overall revenue, and a 75% reduction in its workforce.
• The National Park Service is adapting the monuments for future resilience by designing heating and air conditioning systems to withstand flooding and elevating electrical systems up to 20 feet above sea level.
• Due to the risk of future flooding, the National Park Service ended a 200-year tradition of residency on Liberty Island by deciding not to rebuild the superintendent's brick house.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2016). Protecting Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island: Rising Tides. https://www.ucs.org/resources/protecting-statue-liberty-and-ellis-island-rising-tides

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Protecting Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island: Rising Tides. 2016. https://www.ucs.org/resources/protecting-statue-liberty-and-ellis-island-rising-tides.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Protecting Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island: Rising Tides |date=19 July 2016 |url=https://www.ucs.org/resources/protecting-statue-liberty-and-ellis-island-rising-tides |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2016protecting, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Protecting Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island: Rising Tides}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2016}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ucs.org/resources/protecting-statue-liberty-and-ellis-island-rising-tides}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }