LIVINGSTON - Most of the Amite River has already reached flood stage and begun receding, but part of the river won't crest until Tuesday morning.

It's already crested in Denham Springs, Bayou Manchac and Port Vincent and should be back below flood stage at all three locations by Thursday evening. The river still hasn't crested in French Settlement but that will likely happen Tuesday morning.

The Livingston Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is watching water levels closesly and making sure everyone stays out of the water. Barricades are up in high water areas and law enforcement is there to help.

"Put out a little over 100,000, maybe 120,000 sandbas and about 2,000 tons of sand," Livingston Parish OHSEP Director Mark Harrell says.

The National Guard, Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office and other officials were helping in French Settlement and other places throughout the parish Monday night.

"They'll be going through with high water vehicles and making sure everybody's house is safe," Harrell explains.

Those living along the Amite River in French Settlement says this isn't the first time they've flooded.

"Just waiting for it to go down so we can start cleaning up," Wanda Cannon told News 2's Brittany Weiss.

Cannon is the manager of River Rats Bar & Grill. It has about 1.5 feet of water inside so far. That number could grow before the river crests.

"About 2 inches an hour," Cannon estimates. "It came up last night, and then it came in the backdoor and it just started coming in."

The water is expected to remain for a few more days. It's then that the lives of people in French Settlement will begin to return to normal.

A curfew is in effect in French Settlement and other parts of Livingston Parish affected by flooding. It's in effect until dawn Tuesday morning.

Students in Livingston Parish and surrounding parishes including Ascension and Tangipahoa return to school Tuesday.