Ellis Island to reopen, post-Superstorm Sandy damage

Ellis Island is due to reopen Monday, nearly a year to the day when Superstorm Sandy tore across much of the East Coast.

The Ellis Island Immigration Museum will welcome visitors for the first time in months, since water from the massive storm swamped the island and wreaked havoc on the boilers and electrical systems. The island was without power for months, The Associated Press reported.

But now the island famous for ushering in millions of immigrants is poised to accept tourists and visitors — though the National Park Service said renovations and repairs are far from finished. More than a million historical items, including photographs, are still in storage units and will remain there until all the buildings are repaired, AP said.

Meanwhile, nearby Liberty Island — also flooded during the 2012 storm — has been reopened to visitors since July 4. It shut its doors for a few days, however, during the government shutdown.