PORTLAND, Ore. – Geologists, residents and neighbors continue to monitor a section of Portland’s West Hills after a home slid down a slope and damaged other homes on Wednesday morning.

The house that slid down from Southwest Burlingame Place to near Southwest Terwilliger Boulevard was destroyed, and six other homes were damaged.

The Red Cross, friends and relatives are helping those displace by the landslide.

On Thursday, state geologists continued to inspect the site where the house fell away in order to determine a cause for the earth’s unexpected movement.

Residents of homes that suffered damage were dealing with insurance companies to find out what their options were. Some homes at the bottom of the hill were severely damaged.

One man told KATU his insurance company was sending another agent to inspect the damage and make a determination of coverage. City officials told residents the damage to their homes was the responsibility of the residents and that they should contact their home insurance companies.

Investigators are looking into the possibility that water leaking from the plumbing system of the home that slid could have contributed to the incident, but they have not made any determinations as to the exact cause.

The homeowners reportedly had a sprinkler system installed but when the project took place was not released.

Recent construction and remodeling jobs will be looked at, as well as water usage rates that may indicate a leak under any of the homes in the area and any possible sewer or city water service leaks.

The Northwest is currently below average for rainfall and despite a light rain that fell in the days previous to the slide, precipitation is not suspected as a major factor.

However, rain is expected to begin falling in the region Thursday, but according to KATU Meteorologist Rhonda Shelby, rainfall totals will be light and the system is expected to quickly pass out of the area and dry weather is forecast for the weekend.

Heavier rain expected for the Northwest’s typically wet winter is a concern going forward and steps are being taken to stabilize homes near the slide area.

One man whose house was heavily damaged showed up at his scheduled choir practice Wednesday night just hours after the slide, saying he would rather be there, according to some of his fellow choir members.

Many of the choir members were on hand Thursday morning to help the man clear belongings out of the house while its stability is determined.

Seven homes in total have been damaged by the slide. City officials are briefly letting homeowners in to retrieve belongings in most cases but the homes have been deemed unsafe to occupy.

Busy Terwilliger Boulevard has been closed since the slide took place and city officials say the road will remain closed until the stability of the hillside can be determined.

Commuters traveling through the area are asked to find an alternate route.