Interesting, we had this same type storm in Memphis on July 22, 2003 and it was practically ignored by the mass media.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis_Summer_Storm_of_2003
That’s because Tennesseans don’t really know how to whine and bellyache. A large percentage of the population in the Baltimore-Washington-Northern Virginia corridor (with it HUGE number of federal employees and large population of government handout entitled/dependent individuals) have it down to a science. I should know, I live in the People’s Democratic Republic of Maryland and suffer hearing that whining all the time.
Practically ignored? I don’t think so. I lived in the DC area, and I remember it very well. Although I will say, it took a little while for it to make the big news.
... and just so you know, the Wikipedia article says the temperature soared past 90 degrees. In the aftermath of the East Coast storm, we’ve been sitting in 100+ temperatures for over a week. And the population of the area affected is several times greater. So, yes, it is a little more newsworthy.