[casion]

For some people it is. A tropical storm doesn't even shut down schools here.

Some folks are being ignorant and dismissive with "just", and some are relating their personal experiences.

I have caught myself saying "just 2 inches of rain" since we get that frequently, sometimes in an hour or two. For many people that is a dangerous and life changing amount of rain... and that can be easy to forget if it isn't for you.

tldr; hanlon's razor

[Retric]

Conversely, people would be flipping out if the expectation was 3 feet of snow and or -65C temperatures to hit your area.

That said, I have trouble imagining anyone saying “just 6 inches of rain and 50 - 70 MPH sustained wind speeds”. The low end of tropical storms aren’t that bad but it covers a wide range.

[SkyPuncher]

Just to prove the point that it’s all about where you live and what you’re used to.

Both of your references are at the end of the scale, but not particularly unusual for areas I’ve lived in. It’s both a lot of snow and very cold, but it’s not that much more snow or that much colder than what most people have seen.

[HumblyTossed]

From Florida and have lived all over the state all my life. I've seen nasty hurricanes, but I've also seen nasty depressions that stall and wreak more havoc than a hurricane. There's nothing "just" about tropical storms.

[Retric]

Such extreme weather is still a dangerous inconvenience even if it’s not that rare where you live.

And nowhere sees a full blown tropical storms or 3+ feet snowstorms more than a handful of time a year.

[dragonwriter]

> For some people it is.

There is nothing “just” about tropical storms with tracks over the State of California.