Plus, well, remember what had happened right then. Hal's entire city, and for all he knew everyone he'd ever known and loved, had just been annihilated. There was a gradual retcon for years afterwards that, oh Carol was out of town, and Pie was visiting Alaska, and his brother and family had moved out, but it was all a retcon.
I think Carol was revealed to be out of the city in GREEN LANTERN #46, the very issue Hal found it had blown up and fought Mongul. I'm surprised I remember that.
An above-average fanfic called "The Trial of Hal Jordan" had Hal saying (re: Coast City blowing up): "I'd be devastated, but I WOULDN'T GO CRAZY!!!"