Sensationalism sells, especially on the heels of a highly publicized and terrible disaster just a week earlier.
But "prepare for the worst, hope for the best" is always a good policy to live by. Or the 7 Ps... "Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance," in that one should never let their guard down, especially regarding weather.
In the end, people are going to do as they wish. It's still a free country. As a first responder, I can't emphasize how important it is to remain fluid, but at the same time direct with communication. That's literally the most important part of emergency planning coordinator. This only becomes convoluted when politics or sensationlism enter the equation.
The windshield wiper approach simply doesn't work with the public. Florida did a great job as a whole in terms of communicating with the public.