Flag Shredded By Florence Sells For $10,900 On eBay

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP/CNN) -- 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.

Bay Area based EBay Inc. said 25 people bid 96 times for the flag. It's not known who made the winning bid.

Richard Neal, who bought the lighthouse in 2010 and is the primary owner, told CNN he came up with the idea of an auction after the attention the weather-beaten flag received online.

Neal said that as the storm was nearing, he received calls -- including calls from upset veterans -- about why the flag was not taken down. Frying Pan Tower later announced on its Facebook page the flag was going to be retired and replaced.

"Everyone loved the idea that it was being auctioned," Neal said, adding that after some debate, it was decided the money should go to the Hurricane Florence relief efforts of the American Red Cross.