Heavy rainfall floods some High Desert roads

Monsoonal storms continue to move across Southern California on Thursday. So far the rain has missed the Coachella Valley, but areas to the north and south are reporting some storm-related issues.

The California Highway Patrol said there is some flooding on Highway 62 in Joshua Tree. Cottonwood Springs has been closed at the entrance of Joshua Tree National Park due to flooding, but officials expected the road to be back open around 6 p.m.

Park officials said visitors should be cautious while driving through the park and nobody should drive through fast-moving water. Travel on non-paved roads is discouraged due to water, rocks, sand and other debris.

Joe Galli is in Joshua Tree detailing the flooding and he’ll have live updates throughout the night to keep you informed.

On Highway 74, there is a report of rocks and mud in the roadway between Mountain Center and Hemet due to heavy rain in the area. There was also a report of a tree catching fire near the Cranston Fire Station on Highway 74, but there’s no word if lightning was the cause.

Meteorologist Rob Bradley said that several lightning strikes have been reported in that area throughout the day.