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Officials in the area say they’ve taken all necessary precautions to protect property from flooding as the Atchafalaya River crested Tuesday in Morgan City.

The river crested at about 7.8 feet Tuesday morning and was expected to gradually start dropping over the next few days, said meteorologist Jared Rackley of the National Weather Service’s Lake Charles Office.

The National Weather Service website showed the river was supposed to reach 8 feet Wednesday, but Rackley said the river appeared to have already crested.

St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars declared a state of emergency Monday due to the threat of flooding, particularly the Stephensville-Belle River area in lower St. Martin Parish.

Officials in St. Martin Parish made about 6,000 sandbags with an automatic bagging machine and transported them by truck to Stephensville Park on La. 70. Those sandbags were distributed to residents in lower St. Martin, and then officials brought the bagging machine to Stephensville at the start of this week to provide more sandbags, Cedars said.

In addition to providing sandbags, St. Martin leaders were prepared to pump water immediately out of certain areas if issues arise with drains or sewer systems, he said.

Cedars, who just took office in 2018, praised other officials for their help preparing for the high water. Work crews from St. Martin Parish will continue to stay in the area “until the flooding danger diminishes,” Cedars said.

In St. Mary Parish, officials also provided sand and bags for residents to use in the Amelia area. That sandbag location was under the U.S. 90 bridge in Amelia.

The St. Mary Levee District has also been placing sandbags in some low-lying areas in Amelia to help prevent flooding, said Duval Arthur, director of St. Mary Parish’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

Several areas in Amelia had Hesco baskets filled with sand during previous floods, but someone removed those baskets, Arthur said. So officials were trying to make sure those areas were protected, he said.

Overall, St. Mary Parish officials said the parish has fared well during the high water.

“We feel very good about what we’ve seen so far,” Arthur said Tuesday.

Levee district leaders decided not to install a temporary flood protection structure on Bayou Chene as the river crest was never projected to be above 10 feet, which was the level projected during past closures.

The river rise also caused Morgan City and Berwick officials to close multiple floodgates.

In Morgan City, officials closed floodgates at Freret Street, Railroad Avenue, Eco Serve, two gates at Brashear Avenue and one at Shell Oil dock. Officials were monitoring gates at P.M.I. and Belanger Street that were near the closure threshold.

In Berwick, officials have closed floodgates at First, Gus, Canton, Pacific and Mound streets.

There’s still uncertainty as to whether the Atchafalaya River could crest again later this spring, but officials say another crest is a possibility.

The right lane of U.S. 90 westbound from La. 182 to the end of the bridge just past the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard exit in Morgan City will be closed on Monday for a routine bridge inspection, a Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development news release said.

This work is estimated to take place from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., weather permitting.

A 27-year-old Amelia man was charged with battery of a dating partner after he allegedly grabbed a woman by the throat and struck her in the face, St. Mary Parish Sheriff Scott Anslum said in a news release.

—Juan Luques, 27, of Percy Street in Amelia, was arrested at 7:41 a.m. Monday on a warrant charging him with battery of a dating partner.

In December 2017, deputies investigating a suspected battery at an Amelia home found evidence that Luques grabbed a woman by the throat and also struck her in the face, Anslum said. Deputies obtained a warrant for Luques’ arrest.

A deputy located Luques at his home on the warrant and transported him to jail with no bail set.

Anslum reported that deputies responded to 35 complaints in the parish and reported the following arrests relating to east St. Mary Parish:

—Therold James, 33, of Bayou Vista, was additionally charged at 7:51 p.m. Monday on charges of entering contraband into a penal institution, obstruction of justice, criminal damage to property and simple assault.

Narcotics section detectives conducting an investigation at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center saw James flushing suspected contraband down the toilet, Anslum said.

Detectives searching his cell located a mobile phone. Detectives also found that James damaged a light fixture. During the investigation, James repeatedly spit at detectives, the sheriff said. James remains in jail with no bail set.

—Santos Morales, 32, of La. 182 in Bayou Vista, was arrested at noon Monday on a Louisiana State Police warrant charging him with two counts identity theft, two counts of forgery and two counts unlawful production, manufacturing, distribution, or possession of fraudulent documents for identification purposes and filing false public records.

A narcotics section detective assisting Louisiana State Police took Morales into custody at his home on the warrant. Morales was transported to parish jail with no bail set.

—Earl Fabre, 36, of Hilda Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday on charges of monetary instrument abuse, illegal possession of stolen things, resisting an officer by flight, operating a vehicle with a suspended driver’s license and no motor vehicle insurance.

Deputies responding to a report of a possible robbery in the Franklin area located the suspect vehicles on U.S. 90.

The suspect vehicle then turned onto La. 182 in Calumet. With the assistance of Patterson police, a deputy initiated a traffic stop.

However, the driver continued to travel on La. 182 without pulling over. With the assistance of Berwick police, the driver of the vehicle was stopped near the intersection of La. 182 and U.S. 90 in Berwick.

The driver was detained and identified as Fabre. Fabre was operating the vehicle with a suspended driver’s license and no insurance, Anslum said.

Through investigation, deputies located items inside Fabre’s vehicle that were reported as stolen, Anslum said. Deputies also located counterfeit cash on Fabre. Fabre was jailed with no bail set.

—Raymond Chapman, 38, of Elm Street in Centerville, was arrested at 12:53 a.m. Tuesday on a charge of operating a vehicle with a suspended driver’s license.

A deputy speaking with Chapman at a business off U.S. 90 in the Patterson area found that he was operating a vehicle with a suspended driver’s license. Chapman was jailed with bail set at $1,000.

—Desmond Richard, 36, of Mike Drive in Patterson, was arrested at 4:11 a.m. Friday on two warrants charging him with failure to comply with the terms and conditions of probation, a warrant for failure to appear on a charge of criminal neglect of family, a warrant for failure to appear on charges of no motor vehicle insurance, improper lane usage, no driver’s license on person, failure to change address, and operating a vehicle with improper equipment, and a warrant for failure to appear on a charge of criminal damage to property.

Richard was transported from the Patterson Police Department jail on the warrants to the parish jail. No bail is set.

Morgan City Police Chief James Blair reported that officers responded to 47 calls and reported the following arrests:

—Kaveshia O. Johnson, 20, of Vieux Orleans Circle in Lafayette, was arrested at 8:55 a.m. Monday on charges of possession of marijuana, obstruction of justice and no driver’s license.

Patrol officers encountered a vehicle in the area of Seventh Street acting in a suspicious manner. A stop was initiated, and Johnson, the driver, was in possession of suspected marijuana, Blair said.

Officers also saw Johnson ingesting marijuana to avoid detection. Johnson was jailed.

—Timothy Collier, 18, of Apple Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 10:57 a.m. Monday on a warrant charging him with failure to appear to pay a fine.

Collier was located and arrested at St. Mary Parish jail on a city court warrant. Collier was jailed.

—Kurt T. Stephens, 65, of Sixth Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 8:09 p.m. Monday on warrants charging him with possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of uniform controlled dangerous substance law-drug-free zone.

Stephens was located and arrested in the area of Federal Avenue on warrants. The warrants stem from an Oct. 5, 2017, investigation when officers responded to the area of Bush Street in regard to a suspicious person.

Officers arrived, and Stephens was identified. Stephens was in possession of suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, Blair said.

The incident took place in a drug-free zone. The investigation continued and warrants were prepared for Stephens’ arrest. Stephens was jailed.

—David Crain, 20, of Mary Ann Street in Pierre Part, was arrested at 12:19 a.m. Tuesday on a charge of disturbing the peace intoxicated.

Patrol officers responded to a motel in the area of La. 182 in regard to a suspicious person. Officers arrived, and Crain was identified. Crain was in an intoxicated state, Blair said. Crain was jailed.

Patterson Police Chief Patrick LaSalle reported the following arrest:

—Leslie Paul Johnson, 23, of Dangerfield Street in Patterson, was arrested at 3:21 p.m. Monday on charges of simple battery, theft and possession of drug paraphernalia. Johnson was jailed on $5,500 bail.

Berwick Police Chief James Richard reported the following arrest:

—Daniel Lee Griffin, 41, of Fifth Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 8:42 a.m. Monday on a 16th Judicial District Court warrant charging him with failure to appear for speeding. Griffin posted $349.50 bail.