Weather Scientist's Ashes Spread Into Hurricane Milton Eye

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration does invaluable work to learn more about hurricanes in the crucial days before they make landfall. Prior to Hurricane Milton's arrival in Florida this week, NOAA carried out a special mission in addition to their usual storm information gathering.

During a reconnaissance flight into the eye of the hurricane on Oct. 8, NOAA officials released the ashes of the late award-winning weather scientist Peter Dodge into the air, sending him off on one final storm-chasing journey. Dodge made nearly 400 flights into hurricanes throughout his more than 40-year career and died in March 2023 at the age of 72.

NOAA's honoring of the acclaimed researcher was "very touching" for Dodge's sister Shelley Dodge. "We knew it was a goal of NOAA to make it happen," she told The Associated Press of the action.

"He’s loved that aspect of his job," she added. "It’s bittersweet. On one hand, a hurricane’s coming and you don’t want that for people. But on the other hand, I really wanted this to happen."

NOAA kept her in the loop on when Dodge's final flight would be, making calculations right up until the crew took off with Dodge's ashes in tow.

"There were various times where they thought all the pieces were going to fall in place but it had to be the right combination, the research flight. All of that had to come together," she said. "It finally did on the 8 ^th . I didn’t know for sure until they sent me the official printout that showed exactly where it happened in the eye."

Milton has since exited Florida and dissipated over the Atlantic Ocean.