BARBOURSVILLE, W.Va. — A landslide in Barboursville, West Virginia, is forcing the demolition of a portion of a Target store.
The landslide, which WOWK called a “hill slip,” and the ground settling under the store is causing damage to the building. It was so bad that on Feb. 2, customers had to be evacuated from the retailer.
But while Target has sustained damage and has been closed, other stores in the shopping center are still open, WOWK reported. The locations, however, are being impacted by water issues after the water main was damaged, according to WCHS.
Town officials said that the back section of the Target will be torn down, but no timeframe has been given, WCHS reported. A Target representative said the location would be closed for a “prolonged period.”
Three homes are located behind the store, and residents have been given a voluntary evacuation notice, the town’s mayor told WOWK. Target has offered to cover the cost of relocation, WSAZ reported.
A road and the area surrounding the store have also been damaged, WSAZ reported.
Issues with the land’s stability are not new in relation to the property.
WOWK discovered that there was a lawsuit in 2001 over a landslide, sloughing, land movement and settling that had damaged the property where the store is now.
The cause of the latest “hill slip” is being investigated.
What are landslides?
Landslides occur when masses of rock, earth or debris move down a slope, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Debris flows, also known as mudslides, are a common type of fast-moving landslide that tends to flow in channels, the CDC said.
What causes landslides?
The CDC said landslides are caused by disturbances in the natural stability of a slope; they can accompany heavy rains or follow droughts, earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.
Mudslides develop when water rapidly accumulates in the ground and results in a surge of water-saturated rock, earth and debris, the agency said.
"Mudslides usually start on steep slopes and can be activated by natural disasters, according to the CDC. "Areas where wildfires or human modification of the land have destroyed vegetation on slopes are particularly vulnerable to landslides during and after heavy rains."