The Hurricane Hunters of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) fulfilled the dream of a late meteorologist and storm chaser by releasing his ashes into the eye of Hurricane Milton. The storm, which has been wreaking havoc across Florida, became a unique opportunity for Peter Dodge’s colleagues to pay tribute to him on Tuesday, October 8.
Peter Dodge, a NOAA radar scientist who actively participated in hurricane aircraft missions, passed away last year at 72. His colleagues decided to honor his memory by taking his ashes on a research mission into Hurricane Milton.
Once they reached the storm’s eye, situated roughly 300 miles southwest of Florida, they released Peter’s ashes from their aircraft. Shirley Murillo, deputy director of NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory’s Hurricane Research Division, explained the decision. She stated, “Peter truly had an unyielding passion for participating in field activities, including flying, and an insatiable curiosity for research.”
“By releasing his ashes into Hurricane Milton, we sought to honor his memory and his spirit of teamwork, adventure and curiosity,” she added.
Shelley Dodge, Peter’s sister, acknowledged that fulfilling his desire to be taken into a storm represented one of his lifelong dreams, describing the act as ‘beautiful’ to USA Today. “They honored him because he always wanted to go back up in the plane,” Shelley remarked.
Throughout his 44-year career, Peter received numerous accolades, including the Department of Commerce Bronze Medal, two NOAA Administrator Awards, and the Army Corps of Engineers Patriotic Civilian Service Award, according to the New York Times.
During the mission, the team not only released Peter’s ashes but also collected essential data from Hurricane Milton, which was crucial for the National Hurricane Center and other forecasters.
Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida on the night of October 9 as a category three storm, subsequently weakening to category one. As of early October 10, the National Hurricane Center reported that the storm was still generating dangerous winds and heavy rainfall in east-central Florida. However, it was expected to move away from Florida and pass north of the Bahamas by the end of the day.
The Center further noted, “Gradual weakening is expected, but Milton is forecast to become a powerful extratropical low tonight.”