Brunk Auctions’ Dianna Hayes on Hurricane Helene, Asheville, N.C.

By Dianna Hayes, G.G., Director, Jewelry, Brunk Auctions

Hi members & friends! I’m the director of the jewelry department at Brunk Auctions in Asheville, N.C. Though the hurricane took place nearly two months ago, we in western North Carolina are still facing difficult times. It has been 52 days without access to potable water, and 500 people are still unaccounted for due to floods and mudslides. The landscape has changed dramatically; we now have rivers where there were none before, and some rivers have disappeared. We are all adjusting to this new environment as we strive to move forward into this new normal.

We live in the mountains, and when we heard a tropical storm was coming, we weren’t sure what that meant to us. What happened was major devastation, with rivers overflowing and houses floating away with people still in them.

We had no power or Internet for a week, and we were boiling water to drink up until yesterday. We’ve never had this kind of storm before! It hit us hard, caused mudslides, took out roads including 40 West (the highway that runs from across the state), water pipelines, and now some neighborhoods are inaccessible. In areas like Chimney Rock and Lake Lure, there’s nothing there anymore. They used to attract tourism but it’s all wiped out. I used to own a house in that area, but I think it’s gone.

The River Arts District and Biltmore Village were heavily damaged, but downtown Ashville is fine. There’s not been much open downtown because we haven’t had clean water, so restaurants couldn’t open. And Swannanoa is still very bad—there are still cars in trees.

The saddest part is that for some people whose houses washed away, they don’t even have their land to rebuild on because of the new paths the waterways forged. And most people didn’t have flood insurance—they never thought they needed it—which compounds the problems surrounding rebuilding.

I don’t think people truly understand how hard we were hit in western North Carolina. At first there were a lot of people here to help, but we still need more help. There are people way up in the mountains that are still missing. Search and rescue is still looking for 500 people! And rescuers fear going into the debris with backhoes because the piles are stories high and they’re afraid they might miss someone. Even if they find a mark, the person could be four feet under mud. It’s scary and there’s no awareness of it. We are still dealing with it. I personally know people who lost houses, cars, businesses, everything, and no one had flood insurance. Your heart just breaks.

Fortunately, we’ve also had amazing organizations come into town to help, and if it wasn’t for them, I don’t know where we would be.

Cajun Navy Relief from Louisiana came here on horseback to see people in sections where the roads washed away. They brought them supplies and made sure they were all okay. It’s been heartbreaking to watch but also overwhelmingly beautiful that something so devastating could unite people. Everybody here in Asheville and surrounding areas are pulling together and sending water and other supplies our way. It’s been amazing.

My daughter was affected by the storm and went to a donation center to get a much-needed coat. When she put it on, there was a little note inside reading, “Whoever receives this coat, know we are all praying for you and I hope this coat brings you some comfort.” To see people care about strangers makes you want to get up every day and face the day. We are grateful that so many have come to help. My office, located just outside of downtown Asheville, my home, and the houses of my employees are thankfully safe, but it’s impossible not to have survivor’s guilt.

Since the storm, we took one week off and then jumped right back into addressing the auctions on our calendar. We’ve had to rearrange them a bit and change some auction dates, which makes us a little worried, but we’re hopeful people will still bid. Our upcoming Jewelry & Timepiece auction will take place on Dec. 4, 2024, and it will offer a lot of sparkle. Items include a ring featuring a 6.05 ct. H-color, VS1-clarity Diamond, Diamond solitaire earrings from Lazare Kaplan, a rivière necklace comprising more than 20 carats of Diamonds, and more. We’ll also have pieces from brands and houses like David Webb, Buccellati, Tiffany & Co., Bulgari, and others.

Click here to see items up for bidding and here for the link to participate in the auction. The estimated total value of all 225 items is nearly $1.2 million. Brunk is open to dealer-to-dealer transactions.

And we will continue to help others in our community get back on their feet. Thus far, we’ve donated to Manna Food Bank here in Asheville—whose building and inventory were wiped out—and will continue to. Additionally, Brunk will uphold its cherished tradition of adopting a family for the holidays by providing gifts for those in need—especially important now, as many have faced unimaginable losses. Brunk also has more initiatives in the works that further assist those affected by the storm.

If you feel inspired to help, please reach out to me at [email protected]. I would be delighted to connect you with organizations that are making a meaningful impact right here on the ground.

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