Statue of Liberty Shines Again Thanks to NEPA Man

Mr. Brdaric arrived in New York City on November 7th which was a week and a half after the superstorm hit Liberty Island. "A lot of debris was washed up on the island from the storm." He quickly experienced logistical obstacles to reach the iconic statue on the storm-battered island. "We had to put our vehicle on a ferry and it could only take two vehicles at a time," said Mr. Brdaric. "We had to build ramps to unload because the vehicles were small."

Some work kept Mr. Brdaric in the base of the statue where the electrical room was miraculously dry. However, it was just the opposite where key electrical equipment was located. "The main switchgear is what was inundated and that was approximately 1,000 feet from the statue." A 16-hour workday in the wind and cold spilled into a second day of repairs before Mr. Brdaric could test his work. "There were not even generators available. I ran my test equipment from an inverter on my vehicle." 

The test proved successful and Lady Liberty's torch and crown shined brightly yet again on Friday night, November 9th. "You felt somewhat like a hero but I considered it an honor," said Mr. Brdaric. He says he may have to make a return trip to the Statue of Liberty to install a transformer that would provide power for the statue's high voltage breakers.