Hurricane Milton's center welcomes weary storm chaser for a pause
Peter Dodge, a storm chaser by trade and passion, dedicated his career to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Florida. In March 2023, at the age of 72, the researcher departed from this world. Beatifically, his remains found eternal rest where he most loved to be - in the heart of a hurricane.
Peter Dodge's final journey led him back to his beloved haven - within a hurricane-chasing plane. His colleagues from NOAA's "Hurricane Hunters" bid him farewell before Hurricane "Milton" touched land, scattering his ashes into the eye of the storm. Approximately 300 miles (483 kilometers) southwest of Florida, his ashes were gently laid to rest. Shirley Murillo, the NOAA's Hurricane Research Division deputy director, noted, to the "New York Times", "Peter had an exhaustive appetite for field activities, including flying, and an insatiable thirst for knowledge." This tribute, they believed, reflected his spirit, teamwork, adventurous nature, and curiosity.
"Moving Tribute"
Dodge's shockingly unconventional funeral send-off reportedly included wrapping his remains in Florida's state flag, along with his flight suit, name tag, and a commemorative patch celebrating his 386 flights into the eye of storms. The package was dropped into the hurricane at around 11 pm, the event noted in the flight logs. "PETER DODGE HX SCI (1950-2023)" was the message. According to Frank Marks, a dear friend and colleague, the ashes may have taken about eight minutes to reach the surface of the sea.
His sister Shelley Dodge lauded the tribute to USA Today, calling it "so beautiful." She shared, "They honored him because he always dreamt of flying the plane again." Marks called it "an absolute honor and a truly moving tribute to Peter and his unwavering commitment to us."
Much of the present-day technology employed for tracking storms can be attributed to the various software programs that Dodge developed throughout his years of service. Despite going blind, Dodge continued his research from the ground. Throughout his 44-year career in public service, he received numerous accolades.
During the tribute, a passenger recited Rabindranath Tagore's poem "Peace, my Heart." Kathryn Sellwood, a former colleague, said that the line that resonated with everyone in the poem was, "Let the flight through the sky end with the folding of the wings over the nest." Amidst his last hurricane-chasing mission, the Hurricane Hunters supplied real-time information about "Milton" to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The tribute to Peter Dodge was a testament to his lifelong passion, as his ashes were scattered in the eye of Hurricane "Milton", resulting in a significant number of recorded deaths due to the intense storm. In acknowledgment of his contributions, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) dedicated a special section of their report on "Milton" to his memory.
