US flag shredded by Florence sells for $10,900 on eBay

October 2, 2018 News On Demand
tropical-weather-flag-auction-north-carolina

FILE - This Sept. 16, 2018, file photo shows a tattered American flag after Hurricane Florence in Jacksonville N.C. The U.S. flag that captured attention nationwide as it whipped in the wind on the North Carolina coast during Hurricane Florence is being auctioned to raise money for the American Red Cross. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland, File)

tropical-weather-flag-auction-north-carolina

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — The U.S. flag captured on a live camera as it was being torn to shreds by Hurricane Florence has brought $10,900 at auction.

News outlets report viewers watched the flag flying on the Frying Pan Tower get ripped apart as the storm reached the North Carolina coast last month.

EBay Inc. said 25 people bid 96 times for the flag. It’s not known who made the winning bid.

Proceeds will go to the American Red Cross and its relief efforts.

Richard Neal bought Frying Pan Tower in 2010 after the former Coast Guard lighthouse was deemed obsolete due to GPS navigation. Neal put the tower up for sale in May, but retained majority control of the site, which is now a bed-and-breakfast operated by Neal and his partners.