Living here in SoCal I was watching the weather radar. That thunderstorm complex had been sitting between along I-10 between Chiriaco Summit and Desert Center for a few hours at a minimum. I mentioned it to my wife being as I am a desert rat and have scouted the area quite often.
The first reports I saw were from the National weather office. Nothing on the local news for quite awhile. I will be traveling that way in a couple of weeks and they should have a detour built by then.
May you travel safely.