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 summer.

The newest round of flooding started Wednesday evening, damaging a roadway that was part of a detour past a repair project along eastbound 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.

All eastbound traffic was diverted until the California Department of Transportation managed to reopen one lane of the highway that was being repaired.

Officials recommended that people heading from Southern California use Interstates 8 or 40, which are major detours.

Photos posted by Caltrans showed water rushing through a deep gouge in the pavement of the highway. Flooding also affected other roads in the region, including State Routes 177, 78 and 62.

Read more