FRENCH SETTLEMENT - Area rivers swollen by torrential rain last week will start falling after cresting over the last few hours.

Most recently, the Amite River at French Settlement crested Tuesday morning. Already, the Amite at Denham Springs, Bayou Manchac and Port Vincent has crested and has started falling. The Amite River is forecast to be below flood stage in most areas by Thursday.

The Comite and Tickfaw rivers were under flood stage Tuesday and were falling, too.

The Tangipahoa River, which overflowed its banks and flooded southeast Tangipahoa Saturday, Sunday and Monday, is also falling but it remained above its flood stage in at least one location Tuesday. In Robert, the Tangipahoa River was just below 18-feet. Its flood stage is 15 feet. It is not forecast to be below flood stage until Thursday morning.

Cresting and falling river levels will mean flood water in Livingston, Tangipahoa and Ascension would start to recede. Already, parts of southeast Tangipahoa Parish were dry and people returned home Monday night.

"It's sad to see, but down here we see it so often, I guess it's easy to know what to expect," a resident of flooded areas east of downtown Ponchatoula said in a report on WBRZ News 2 at 10:00 Monday evening.

West of flooded areas, the Mississippi and Atchafalaya were still rising. In downtown Baton Rouge and at Red River Landing the Mississippi was already above flood stage. The Atchafalaya will approach flood stage Saturday at Krotz Springs and exceed its flood stage at Morgan City by Saturday.

Click HERE for more from the WBRZ weather team.

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