Mud-covered roads remain after desert storm

Seasonal monsoonal moisture combined with remnants of tropical storm Norbert dumped rain around the southwestern part of the United States. Floodwaters washed out roadways and at least one vital trucking route. The deadly flooding claimed the lives of two women in southern Arizona, and also pelted parts of Southern California.

Drivers stuck on the interstate north of Las Vegas, could only wait it out after floodwaters completely shut down a 20-mile stretch of the interstate.

Nearly 200 kids got stuck inside an elementary school in Moapa, Nevada, with the nearby muddy river at flood stage.

Nevada transportation officials say a nearly 50-mile stretch of Interstate 15 north of Las Vegas could be closed for three to four days while they repair the pavement washed away by heavy rains. The road is the main artery between Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.

The weather was so hazardous, some passengers were stuck on the hot tarmac for hours, when their American Airlines flight from LAX was delayed because of the weather in Las Vegas.

Crews in Tucson, Arizona, were able to rescue a man trapped inside his car, which was swept away by the running water.

"We had to smash his window to pass him equipment, because he couldn't get his windows down anymore," Northwest Fire Cpt. Paul Mischel said.

A woman in Tucson wasn't so lucky. Her car was swept away and became trapped against a bridge. She drowned in the river as rescue workers tried to reach her.

A 76-year-old woman also drowned in floodwaters.

Arizona's governor declared a state-wide emergency, as the heavy rain continued to pelt suburban Phoenix, flooding out whole neighborhoods. The city had record rainfall for a single day.

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There was also flash flooding in Southern California.

Emergency responders responded to more than 40 flood-related calls about stranded cars during the Monday morning commute in the La Quinta and Indian Wells areas near Palm Springs, Riverside County fire spokeswoman Jody Hagemann said.

Numerous cars got stuck in high water in Coachella Valley, said Mike Radford, spokesman for the Indio CHP office. Several flood-affected roads remained closed Tuesday, according to law enforcement officers.

In Riverside, people were still cleaning up from the storm, which flooded streets and downed trees.

The California Department of Transportation was cleaning up and had no estimates of total damages done to roads by the storm, agency spokeswoman Philip Havins said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.