A North Carolina town that produces quartz needed for technology products was destroyed by Helen

SPRUCE PINE, N.C. (AP) – Two North Carolina facilities that produce high-purity quartz used to make semiconductors, solar panels and fiber-optic cables have closed. Hurricane Helen No reopening date available.

Both Sibelco and The Quartz Corp. halted operations Thursday in the Appalachian town of Spruce Pine after the storm swept entire communities in the western part of the state and across the border in eastern Tennessee. The city is home to mines that produce some of the highest quality quartz in the world.

With growing global demand, Sibelco announced last year that it would invest $200 million to double capacity in spruce pine.

Since the storm, the company has been working to ensure all of its employees are safe and responsible, according to a statement, with some “unreachable due to ongoing power outages and communications challenges.”

“Please be assured that Sibelco is actively cooperating with government agencies and third-party rescue and recovery operations to mitigate the impact of this event and resume operations as soon as possible,” the company wrote.

Quartz Corp wrote that restarting operations is a “second order of priority”.

“Our top priority remains the health and safety of our employees and their families,” the company wrote.