Water receding now that rain has stopped

The National Weather Service in Shreveport, La., can see clearly now and the Red River is going down.

The skies have cleared and the rain has stopped.

In a weekly weather briefing Thursday, meteorologist Brandi Hughes said the Red River is dropping below flood stages from Pecan Point near DeKalb, Texas, down to Shreveport.

At Pecan Point, the current stage is 23.5 feet. The flood stage is 24 feet, and the river will continue falling, then hold steady at 22 to 23 feet during the next several days.

The current stage at Index Bridge is 19.1 feet. The flood stage is 25 feet and the river will continue falling 3 feet per day through the weekend.

At Fulton, Ark., the current

stage is 18.7 feet. The flood stage is 27 feet and will continue falling through the weekend.

The current stage at Shreveport is 28.9 feet. The flood stage is 30 feet. The Red River will rise and crest near 29.5 feet today.

The weather forecast predicts near-normal temperatures, with virtually no chances for rain through the next work week. The next big rainmaker will be Dec. 12. The rain could cause potential backwater flooding.

Red River bank erosion is possible along the river.

In the Shreveport/ Bossier area, the bike path along the river will be completely inundated. Bank erosion is also expected.

The floating dock downtown across from SciPort will need to be secured.

Downstream, pastures could be flooded and livestock and equipment may need to be moved.

The end of the rain has stopped the third major flood of 2015.