A thunderstorm will wreak havoc on a fab. A single, power blip lasting less a second can ruin whatever chips were being processed. At a minimum there will need to be additional testing done to ensure there is no hidden damage.

The thunderstorms that central AZ gets are extremely isolated and basically only happen for about 6 weeks a year.

Don't they have any backup power to cover short blips ? Sure their power draw is massive, but given the potential loses one would exect sufficiently beefy and expensive backups in place so that a burned out generator in a power plant or tree on a line does not cost you billions.

You would basically need to isolate yourself from the grid to be immune to any blips...it takes a while for a backup to come on line and even things out.

Believe it or not, the Midwest is not seismically stable.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Madrid_Seismic_Zone

Also, tornados.

Salt is BAD.

Sodium contamination messes up the threshold voltages of transistors.

And the Northeast uses salt everywhere for snow and ice control and removal.