On the surface it seems a strange thing to be carrying around with you as you are walking around. Given he was going home after the hurricane, I suppose it would make sense that he would have his most valued posession on him at the time.
That begs another question - how can a deceased person's ashes be a "most valued posession"?
Sounds like a morbid inability to "let go". I would be extremely disappointed to know that someone would keep my ashes (or any other form of my body0 aorund after my death. At that time, I'm done with it! The only exception being the donation of any body parts/organs to save another person's life - I'm all for organ donation.
Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie each wore a pendant around their neck with the other's blood in it.
But that's Hollywood.