The town of Spruce Pine is home to two mines that experts say are a key source of high-purity quartz. This crucial material is used to make the chips that power everything from smartphones to data centers.
Spruce Pine was hit by over two feet of rain between Tuesday and Saturday, according to the Associated Press. A Facebook post from the local county government described the flooding as "catastrophic" and said a "good bit" of the county's infrastructure had been destroyed or damaged by floodwater.
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