Why is the USS KIDD out of water?
A. This question is usually heard during the fall and winter months. The level of the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge fluctuates as much as 40 feet per year. When the snow melts in the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains and throughout the Midwest, the floodwaters travel down the Mississippi. When this happens, the KIDD floats. When the summer droughts come and the river drops, the KIDD sits down in a specially-designed cradle to await the spring floods. During the fall and winter, you can actually walk underneath the ship. Imagine 2,050 tons of warship sitting above your head!!! USS KIDD was featured in Ripley’s “Believe It Or Not!” for her then-unique cradle design on March 04, 1984.
