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.
