Two facilities that produce high-purity quartz essential in semiconductors, solar panels, and fiber-optics have been shut down.

The facilities named as The Quartz Corp and Sibelco, located in Spruce Pine, halted their operations prior to the incoming hurricane that destroyed several parts of West USA and portions of East Tennessee.

Companies mining high-purity quartz in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, have paused operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The quartz is a critical component of the chipmaking process — and it’s only found in Spruce Pine.