 The head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has been dispatched to a nuclear power plant in Fort Calhoun, Neb., where a berm collapsed Sunday, but the public is in no danger, officials said. The federal commission had inspectors at the plant 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Omaha when the 2,000-foot (610-meter) berm collapsed about 1:30 a.m. Sunday. The breach allowed Missouri River flood waters to reach containment buildings and transformers and forcing the shutdown of electrical power. Jeff Hanson, a spokesman for the Omaha Public Power District, told The Associated Press that the breached berm wasn't critical to protecting the plant, although a crew will look at whether it can be patched. "That was an additional layer of protection we put in," Hanson said. The river is expected to rise as much as 7 feet (2 meters) above flood stage in much of Nebraska and Iowa and as much as 10 feet (3 meters) over flood stage in parts of Missouri. ___ 
 
 Josh Funk Associated Press Writer Timberly Ross contributed to this report from Omaha and can be reached at http://twitter.com/timberlysross.
– Floodwaters have poured over a berm surrounding a Nebraska nuclear power plant, forcing a shutdown of electricity used to control cooling systems. Emergency generators were used until an off-site power supply could be connected to the Fort Calhoun plant, and officials say there has been no danger to the public, reports ABC News. Federal authorities, including the head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, are on the scene. The berm was considered an "additional layer of protection" at the plant, and a work crew will attempt to patch it, said a spokesman for the Omaha Public Power District. The plant, near Brownville, has been closed for refueling since April, and the operation won't be restarted until the floodwaters recede, according to AP. Nebraska's other nuclear power plant, some 75 miles south of Omaha, was threatened by flooding earlier this month and will be shut down if floodwaters exceed a specific level. Federal officials are continuing to monitor the situation. The Fort Calhoun berm breach was the latest trouble in flooding of the Missouri River that has inundated some 4,500 homes. It could be up to six weeks before the river falls back to its pre-flood stage.