Acuity Flag, 'Worlds Tallest Symbol Of Freedom' In Tatters

SHEBOYGAN FALLS, WI — The largest free-flying American flag was in tatters Tuesday night after a round of storms and high winds tore through nearly 340 pounds of star-spangled nylon in Wisconsin.

It's known as the Acuity Flag, and flies atop a 400-foot-tall flagpole at the Acuity Insurance headquarters in Sheboygan Falls.

It covers nearly 10,000 square feet, weighs about 340 pounds, and requires 72 cubic feet of storage. It's so big, the stars measure three feet across and stripes are more than five feet high.

The image made for an eerie sight late Tuesday, as several observers caught ghostly images of the flag snapping in the evening wind with major sections ripped out.

Some social media posters commented that the image of the shredded flag seemed metaphorical or symbolic of the times Americans are going through amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest across the country.

One Twitter user called the image of the torn flag a "metaphor for our times."

Another user said the "worlds tallest symbol of 'freedom' destroyed in seconds. Ironic but symbolic."

One person out driving through severe thunderstorms Tuesday night captured video of the tattered flag flapping in the night sky.