Flash floods wash away vital highway in CA

The main highway from Los Angeles to Phoenix was damaged by a flash flood that washed out part of the road through the Southern California desert in the latest bout of punishing monsoonal thunderstorms that have hit the region this month.

The latest round of flooding started Wednesday evening, damaging the eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 near the small community of Desert Center, about 165 miles east of Los Angeles. Traffic in both directions was halted initially, but westbound lanes for motorists heading from Arizona to California reopened later. The National Weather Service said more flooding was possible through Thursday throughout a large swath of Southern California's mountains and deserts.