The devastation in North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene could have serious implications for a niche — but extremely important — corner of the tech industry.

Downpours at Spruce Pine, North Carolina, have taken the biggest known deposit of high-purity quartz offline, leaving the global tech supply chain potentially starved of an ingredient vital for making microchips.

Quartz mining suspension in the wake of the storm leads to potential supply chain disruptions and price surges in the automotive industry.