Section of NuStar ammonia pipeline off line in Nebraska

About 115 miles of NuStar Energy's ammonia pipeline is off line in Nebraska as ongoing flooding inundates areas near the Platte and Missouri rivers.

NuStar said three ammonia terminals between Aurora and Fremont, Nebraska, went off line on 14 March and remain non-operational early this week.

The company added operations will resume after flood waters recede but did not provide a clear timeline. Ammonia producers are still permitted to inject ammonia into the pipeline farther downstream, and NuStar said shipments to other terminals have not been impeded by the outage in Nebraska.

Flooding persists in Fremont today and is slated to extend throughout the week, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) weather prediction center. The Platte River near Fremont crested on 15 March and receded below flood stage on 16 March, according to NOAA. The river near Aurora crested on 16 March and fell below flood action stage this afternoon.

But the Missouri River, which feeds into the Platte River near Omaha, Nebraska, crested on 17 March and is anticipated to remain above flood stage through 23 March, according to NOAA.

Central Nebraska received rain totals 2-4 inches above normal during the last seven days, which triggered significant snow melt in the upper Midwest, Great Lakes and western Corn Belt late last week, according to NOAA. The combined effects of snow melt, and above average rainfall swelled regional river systems, resulting in widespread flooding.