Disproportionate Alarm over Atlantic Tropical Low

There is a peculiar "storm" brewing out in the Atlantic Ocean, heading westward toward the West Indies and Caribbean region.  At this writing, it is only a low pressure zone, not even a tropical depression.  But the meteorologists seem all abuzz over it, as if it will develop and eventually threaten to hit North America somewhere, around a week or so from now.  I wonder why the emphasis on this particular storm.

I've seen stronger storms, even named hurricanes, in this region without the kind of fuss being made over them that this one is eliciting.  But perhaps the weather experts are looking beyond the storm system itself and instead see, ahead of it, a clear pathway for extensive (and dangerous) development.  Then again, maybe, since we've just entered the second half of August and are now in the peak hurricane-spawning window of the season, they are automatically perked up at any system they see as a potential threat.  And then possibly exaggerate its danger to the public.  Who knows, possibly the truth is a mixture of the two.

This hurricane season has been very peculiar.  Very early on we had several named storms, with one of them passing over northern central Florida.  Then...nothing, except for the few hitting Mexico or staying way out in the Atlantic.  Not that I'm complaining, though: when I remember the power outages, flooding, and wind damage caused in our area by Frances and Jeanne in 2004, my hopes are that the meteorology folks are just being a little melodramatic and that this new disturbance, which hasn't even developed into anything yet, won't and will quietly go away...