Video: Remains of American Flag Hang on Tower After Hurricane Florence

During Hurricane Florence, tens of thousands of people watched an American flag resist the winds of the storm when it hit North Carolina.

The live camera on top Frying Pan Tower, located miles off the North Carolina coast, returned on Sept. 20, about one week after Florence’s winds shut the camera down.

The feed showed the flag, which was mostly destroyed.

Richard Neal, the owner of the tower, said last week that he received an offer to replace the tower’s flags.

“If you have been following the chatter it seems someone decided to name our flag ‘Kevin.’ Well, if so then Old Glory is Kevin. It is Paul, It is Nancy. It is Larry. It is Emily… Old Glory represents all of us as Americans. Together, WE are America and we decide to pick up, start again, and sew our tattered lives back together after the storms of life pass through! Let your actions show us all proud & together! Richard Neal (Note, power failed last night so this picture is from yesterday afternoon),” he wrote on Facebook.

Neal told the Charlotte Observer that some complained that the webcam showed the flag in tatters, so he remotely repositioned the camera to show another angle.

“Hey folks, the last time we were out we put up a new flag. With respect, we will retire and replace it next trip. We see the tears and know that good men and women fought for America and are honored to fly old glory! Please understand, this is a hurricane. We are not on the tower and can’t go outside and replace it yet. Be safe and smart, Richard,” he wrote on Facebook.

Houses sit in floodwater caused by Hurricane Florence on the outskirts of Lumberton, N.C., on Sept. 17, 2018. Jason Miczek/Reuters

Flooding Persists

Days after Florence passed over the Carolinas, flooding still persists.

Twenty flood gauges showed some level of flooding in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, where some major waterways, well above their flood stages, were expected to rise through the weekend before they crest, the National Weather Service said, Reuters reported.

“People in flood-prone areas or near waterways need to remain alert as rivers crest and stay above their banks in coming days,” North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said in a written statement. “Stay alert and stay safe.”

President Donald Trump said on Sept. 19 in South Carolina and warned residents that “water is coming your way.”

“Now it looks nice but it’s really the calm before the storm,” he said.

The storm dumped as many as 36 inches of rain in some areas in North Carolina, cutting off cities with floodwaters. The storm hit North Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane on Sept. 14.

Power companies told Reuters that 121,000 customers were still without power across North Carolina.

Meanwhile, AccuWeather noted: “There have been 10 tropical storms, of which five became hurricanes. Three named systems, Alberto, Florence, and Gordon, made landfall in the United States.”

Reuters contributed to this report