Photos: Remnants of Ivo, Storm Cells Unleash Mud Flows in Morongo Valley, Highway 62 Closed

Update 8:51 p.m. Remnants of Tropical Storm Ivo combined with monsoonal storm cell activity Sunday evening to unleash mud flows and runoff in several locations in Morongo Valley, closing Highway 62, a Highway Patrol dispatcher in Indio said.

Earlier at one location near Willie Boy's Saloon, traffic was backed up about a half mile and a Morongo Fire engineer said Caltrans officials were aware of the situation. Heavy equipment operators were expected to clear the highway and re-open it to traffic in both directions.


Posted 7:15 p.m. Remnants of Tropical Storm Ivo combined with monsoonal storm cell activity Sunday evening to unleash mud flows in Morongo Valley, closing Highway 62 in both directions.

Firefighters in Morongo Valley received a call about erosion and water on the road around 6 p.m. Aug. 25, an engineer said at the scene. The mud came out of a mountain watershed on the west side of the road.

Caltrans officials were notified and as of 7 p.m. firefighters were waiting for heavy equipment operators to arrive and clear mud and debris off the road before re-opening it.

Traffic bound for Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms backed up about a half-mile in both northbound lanes.

The California Highway Patrol had the road closed further up the hill on the slope descending from Yucca Valley.