Deployment operations are set to begin at 1 p.m. CST (2 p.m. EST), and officials say a livestream of the event will be available.

"Safety is always a top priority in Okaloosa County," said Okaloosa County Board Chairman Trey Goodwin. "There is simply no reason to take an unnecessary risk when adjusting the schedule will allow us to carry out this historic deployment safely and smoothly."

The new date carries added significance: Wednesday is Veterans Day.

"While the weather may have changed our plans, it has given this historic occasion an especially meaningful date," Goodwin said. "On Veterans Day, as we honor the men and women who served our nation, we will also honor the legacy of the SS United States, a magnificent ship that proudly bears the name of the country they so bravely defended."

The ocean liner, launched in 1952, still holds the trans-Atlantic speed record for an ocean liner. It was designated to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999 and is widely regarded as one of the most important examples of American maritime engineering.

The vessel spent nearly three decades docked along Philadelphia's Delaware River waterfront before departing last year for Alabama, where crews have been preparing it for its next role as an artificial reef. The ship has been undergoing remediation since it was towed from Philadelphia.

Okaloosa County officials have promoted the project as both an economic development opportunity and an environmental asset, saying the vessel will become a major diving attraction and a habitat for marine life.

The sinking is set to make the ship the world's largest artificial reef.

The schedule change comes after a judge denied a preservation group's request to stop the sinking.