Recovery efforts are now underway after a massive mudslide buried a Maggie Valley neighborhood.
On Saturday, geologists with the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources spent hours assessing the damage.
They say the wall of mud was 175 feet wide at some points, and slid nearly 3,000 feet down the mountain.
Geologists also say there is an "overwhelming potential" for new slides to occur on Rich Cove Road in the coming days.
For that reason, residents are still not being allowed back to their homes.
More than 40 people were evacuated on Friday night.
Four homes were damaged, but no one was injured in the slide.
Geologists are comparing this slide to the 2004 mudslide in Macon County's Peeks Creek community.
Five people died in that slide.
Geologists say the difference is that no homes were in the direct path of the Rich Cove Road slide.
On Sunday, a National Guard helicopter will survey the scene to get a better look.
Right now, the exact cause is unknown.
Geologists say the heavy rain and snow we've seen over the last few days may have triggered the mudslide.
They also tell us a retaining wall at Ghost Town in the Sky somehow failed, and that is where the mud started sliding.
As of right now, emergency responders do not have a timeline for the clean-up efforts, or for when residents will be allowed to return home.
A shelter remains open at Maggie Valley United Methodist on Highway 19.
By Heather Graf
Maggie Valley Mudslide Day Two
Posted: Saturday, February 6 2010, 05:33 PM EST
