BATON ROUGE - The U.S.S. Kidd will not be making its return in time for Memorial Day due to low river levels, officials told WBRZ Thursday. 

The destroyer, which was used during World War II and the Korean War, departed from Baton Rouge on April 30, 2024, and traveled down the Mississippi River to Houma for restoration. 

The Kidd has been restored and is ready to head back to Baton Rouge, where it spends six months in the river and the other half of the year in a cradle to keep it out of the water. 

Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission Chairman Les Nicholson said it's one of the things that is postponing the Kidd from coming home. 

"Historically, the river rises to about 30-some-odd feet in the spring, and that's the level you need to get the ship back in its cradle," he said. "Sometimes it happens in April, sometimes May. It did not happen this year." 

According to the Storm Station, the Mississippi River is at 22 feet as of Thursday, May 7. The river will crest at around 24 feet on Monday, May 11, then fall for the rest of the month. 

Nicholson said there is a chance of a late surge in June, but "it's too soon to know whether something like that will happen."

Jay Dardenne said that although the postponement is a disappointment, he's excited for the new-and-improved Kidd to be back in Baton Rouge safely. 

"It's a magnificent new look to The Kidd. It's been restored, and it's a great treasure for Baton Rouge," Dardenne said. 

For now, the USS Kidd Veterans Museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $8.