New York CNN  —  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. Tucked in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the outskirts of Spruce Pine, a town of less than 2,200, are two mines that produce the world’s purest quartz, which formed in the area some 380 million years ago. The material is a key component in the global supply chain for semiconductor chips, which power everything from