A 24 hour news cycle with nothing else to talk about. Plus they thought it was going to be a big deal. I’m sure that they’re just as disappointed that the hurricane left anything standing as you are.
Bingo! The media will hype what they think will get people to tune in. (It's that simple, but some people prefer to see a conspiracy.)
Before the 24 hour news cycle and the internet, it would have been a big east coast news story, with brief mentions in other parts of the country on the nightly news.