Better on the ground, safe and alive, than in the air, being bounced around in a thunderstorm, running out of fuel, and running out of options.
Rather down here wishing you were up there, than up there wishing you were down here.
Absolutely agree, from a flight deck perspective, but from an ops POV surely it is not beyond the wit of an airline operating in this area of the US to have a contingency plan to at least find a coach?
Its not as if heavy convective weather is unkown in summer
I experienced a similar diversion some years ago, being dropped in Richmond, VA, instead of La Guardia.
Having seen the of the cells blocking our path (seemed to go up to space), I was completely happy with the divert from the perspective of being the right decision.
On the ground, the airline had one staff member processing 6 diverted flights - that is just amateurish.
I lucky enough to be saved by some friendly locals who had local knowledge and booked me a hotel room, whilst the queue of people waiting for assistance must have been 50-60m long.
The airline subsequently paid me a substantial ex gratia payment for the costs of hotac and other consequential expenses.