Hurricane-Damaged Destroyer Back in Water

The USS Kidd, an Aegis class destroyer damaged during Hurricane Katrina, has been removed from drydock and placed pier side at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems. The change means more extensive construction work can be performed. The vessel will be ready for the fleet by the end of the year, officials said. The destroyer sustained hull damage during the Aug. 29 storm, but shipyard workers returned the ship to the water six weeks earlier than originally scheduled. Because of the hull damage, the ship took on water and some compartments were flooded. Several employees who stayed on board the destroyer during the storm worked quickly to contain the water. The shipyard workforce returned to shipbuilding less than two weeks after Katrina. Once the equipment and material were restored on the Kidd, the ship was placed on the company's drydock for restoration. The Kidd was christened in January 2005. It is the third U.S. Navy destroyer named for Medal of Honor and Purple Heart recipient Rear Admiral Isaac Kidd Sr., the first flag officer killed aboard the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor and the first in the U.S. Navy to meet death in action against any foreign enemy. Source: AP, SunHerald