Pictured above is the fraction of a flag that remained in Hampton Bays, NY after Hurricane Irene came through town. And as Kerry Sanders reported, the flag flying over the Capitol in Washington, DC was left tattered but still flying. For a few hours, anyway.
A spokesman for the Architect of the Capitol (yes, that's a job) tells NBC News this afternoon that the flag was replaced last night with a new flag.
So how exactly should one get rid of a hurricane-destroyed flag? I was surprised to learn today that the U.S. flag code actually calls for the destruction of a damaged flag "preferably by burning." Here's the relevant section: "The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning."