### Historic Flooding from Hurricane Helene Devastates North Carolina’s Quartz Industry

The recent onslaught of Hurricane Helene has resulted in unprecedented rainfall and widespread flooding in western North Carolina, causing significant loss of life and extensive damage across the region's mountainous communities. The small town of Spruce Pine, known for its exceptionally pure quartz, has been hit particularly hard. This quartz is critical for chip manufacturing, being the only naturally occurring source of the ultrapure mineral necessary for the production of silicon wafers.

Spruce Pine's quartz is indispensable in the semiconductor industry. The high-purity mineral found here is used to create crucibles for melting polysilicon, an essential step in producing silicon wafers. Though silicon can be produced from quartz available elsewhere, the process is far more time-consuming and costly, as noted in a 2018 Wired report.

The hurricane delivered over two feet of rain to Spruce Pine, leading to severe flooding and road blockages. Many residents are currently without power, and communication remains problematic, making it challenging to assess the full impact on the town and its vital mining operations. Sibelco and The Quartz Corp, the two companies extracting quartz in this region, have yet to provide detailed updates on their status.

In a statement to The Verge, The Quartz Corp spokesperson May Kristin Haugen emphasized that it is too soon to evaluate the damage to quartz production facilities. “Our priority now is people and the families being affected by this terrible storm," she stated. Sibelco has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Past incidents have shown the potential for significant disruption. A fire in Spruce Pine in 2008 nearly halted the global supply of high-purity quartz, causing massive ripples in the industry. Given the world's increasing dependence on semiconductors for devices like phones, processors, and solar panels, damage to the quartz mines could have even more severe implications this time.

The semiconductor industry's vulnerability has been starkly highlighted over the past few years. Major companies, including Intel, Sony, and Ford, have struggled to recover from the global chip shortage exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The current situation in Spruce Pine poses a serious threat to the already delicate supply chain.