North Carolina town that produces quartz needed for tech products is devastated by Helene

SPRUCE PINE, N.C. (AP) — Two North Carolina facilities that manufacture the high-purity quartz used for making semiconductors, solar panels and fiber optic cables have been shut down by Hurricane Helene. No reopening date is in sight. Sibelco and The Quartz Corp both shut down operations in the Appalachian town of Spruce Pine on Thursday. The town is home to mines that produce some of the world’s highest quality quartz. Since the storm, both companies have issued statements saying that their top priorities are making sure their employees are safe. Sibelco says some employees are “unreachable due to ongoing power outages and communication challenges.”