One big storm, Hurricane Helene, hit the US. It may mess up the tech industry. Helene hit a quartz mining town in North Carolina. This town gives special quartz for making chips used in phones and data centres worldwide.
The storm hit the town hard. More than 200 people died. Many folks lost homes and power. Even the quartz mines in the mountains were hit by floods.
The quartz from Spruce Pine helps make important chip parts called quartz crucibles. These containers can handle super hot temperatures needed to melt silicon for chips. The storm closed the mining companies but they hope to start up again soon.
Vocabulary List:
- Hurricane /ˈhɜːrɪkeɪn/ (noun): A large storm characterized by strong winds and heavy rain typically forming over tropical waters.
- Quartz /kwɔːrts/ (noun): A hard crystalline mineral composed of silicon and oxygen commonly used in electronics.
- Crucibles /ˈkruːsɪbəlz/ (noun): Containers used for melting and testing materials at high temperatures.
- Silicon /ˈsɪlɪkən/ (noun): A chemical element widely used in semiconductors and electronics.
- Floods /flʌdz/ (noun): Overflow of water onto land that is normally dry often resulting from heavy rainfall.
- Mining /ˈmaɪnɪŋ/ (noun): The process of extracting valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth.



