A West Virginia Target store has shutdown following damage caused by the building sliding down a hill.

What Caused The Target Store To Slide?

The Target store in Barboursville, West Virginia was built near a hillside. According to USA Today, the building was first closed Feb. 2 when the store was damaged due to the hill slipping.

The initial slip caused by heavy rain and snow damaged sewer and water lines in the area. Unfortunately, the situation got much worse a few days later.

According to WCHS in nearby Charleston, the ground on the hill continued to slip away causing further damage to the Target store and a water main leaving some nearby residents without water.

A video shared by the TV station shows a section of the store breaking away as the land starts to slide down the hill.

Target told WCHS that it would demolish the damaged portion of the building.

Study Predicted Target Store Would Likely Slide

In the days following the Target store's closing, reporters from WCHS uncovered court documents that outlined a potential landslip as far back as 2001.

The TV station reported a study showed the hill behind the Target has a "70-100% probability of slope failure."

READ MORE: Target Paid Membership Program Reportedly Being Considered

Demolition of the back corner of the building is underway. Video from the scene shows a construction crew pulling away a damaged wall as cardboard boxes tumble out of the store.

Barboursville is a town of around 4,500 people located about 45 miles west of Charleston.

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