Update:
According to an assessment by Sibleco, key sites for quartz “only sustained minor damage.” The Quartz Corp also remarks they will be able to “avoid” any supply disruptions.
Hurricane Helene has severely disrupted quartz mining operations in North Carolina, raising concerns about a potential ripple effect across the global tech industry. Meanwhile, misinformation is spreading online with unfounded conspiracy theories gaining traction on social media.
Spruce Pine, a small Appalachian town that is home to one of the world’s only sources of high-purity quartz, suffered significant flooding from Helene, halting operations at major producers Quartz Corp. and Sibelco.
The high-purity quartz mined there is essential for producing silicon wafers used in semiconductors, smartphones and solar panels.
Experts warn that prolonged shutdowns could lead to significant delays in global supply chains and shortages of critical components needed for the tech industry
Adding to these challenges are viral conspiracy theories on platforms like TikTok and X. They claim that the hurricane was an orchestrated form of weather manipulation.
These theories suggest the storm was part of a government plan to disrupt quartz mining and advance lithium mining interests. Some allege that the hurricane was a political maneuver to displace voters or seize land, echoing similar claims made during the Maui wildfires of 2023.
However, experts have repeatedly debunked these ideas, pointing out that hurricanes are natural phenomena, and no credible evidence supports such theories.
As cleanup efforts begin, the residents of Spruce Pine are focused on restoring basic services, with the mining industry uncertain of when full operations will resume. The long-term effects of this disruption on quartz supply, particularly for tech industries in both the U.S. and China, remain to be seen.
