Malibu orders evacuations after Hurricane Marie surf opens massive sinkhole
The 30-foot-deep collapse swallowed the driveway of Nicolas Cage’s beachfront home and cut off emergency access to 31 residences.
Coastal erosion and powerful waves have forced residents from a Malibu neighborhood after a massive sinkhole opened outside a mansion owned by Nicolas Cage.
Malibu officials ordered evacuations Tuesday evening after a massive sinkhole opened along Sea Level Drive, swallowing the driveway of a beachfront home reportedly owned by actor Nicolas Cage as powerful surf from former Hurricane Marie pounded the coast.
The driveway collapse and gas leak were reported around 5:45 a.m. PDT Tuesday. By 6 p.m., the city had declared an emergency and ordered residents from 31 affected properties to evacuate.
The collapse had grown to approximately 25 to 30 feet deep and 30 by 60 feet wide by Tuesday evening, according to the city’s emergency order. Aerial footage showed ocean waves crashing beneath Cage’s home through the opening where the driveway once stood.
This aerial view shows a sinkhole on a street and driveway of a seaside home belonging to actor Nic Cage amid large swells produced by Hurricane Marie in Malibu, California, on September 8, 2026. Hurricane Marie stayed well offshore of Southern California during Labor Day weekend but its large swells produced dangerous surf and rip currents, with waves reaching around 10 feet in some areas. (Photo by David Swanson / AFP via Getty Images)
The collapse ruptured a half-inch natural gas line and left what remained of the private coastal road too narrow for fire engines and other large emergency vehicles. Gas service was shut off, and officials warned water service could also be discontinued if conditions worsen.
Officials declared seven residences unsafe to enter because of hazards caused by the sinkhole. Residents of another 24 properties were ordered to evacuate because the collapse left fire engines and ambulances unable to reach them. A Red Cross shelter opened at Malibu High School.
No injuries were reported.
This aerial view shows a sinkhole on a street and driveway of a seaside home affected by large swells produced by Hurricane Marie in Malibu, California, on September 8, 2026. Hurricane Marie stayed well offshore of Southern California during Labor Day weekend but its large swells produced dangerous surf and rip currents, with waves reaching around 10 feet in some areas. (Photo by David Swanson / AFP via Getty Images)
This aerial view shows a sinkhole on a street and driveway of a seaside home affected by large swells produced by Hurricane Marie in Malibu, California, on September 8, 2026. Hurricane Marie stayed well offshore of Southern California during Labor Day weekend but its large swells produced dangerous surf and rip currents, with waves reaching around 10 feet in some areas. (Photo by David Swanson / AFP via Getty Images)
This aerial view shows a sinkhole on a street and driveway of a seaside home affected by large swells produced by Hurricane Marie in Malibu, California, on September 8, 2026. Hurricane Marie stayed well offshore of Southern California during Labor Day weekend but its large swells produced dangerous surf and rip currents, with waves reaching around 10 feet in some areas. (Photo by David Swanson / AFP via Getty Images)
Marie remained far offshore, but the hurricane generated a powerful southerly swell that traveled toward Southern California. Waves of 4 to 7 feet, with local sets reaching 8 feet, battered south-facing beaches in Los Angeles and Ventura counties as evening tides ran about 6 inches above predictions.
Higher water levels allowed waves to push farther inland along a coastline already struggling with erosion. Malibu attributed the sinkhole to coastal erosion, although officials have not released an engineering assessment determining exactly how the road and driveway failed.
The collapse follows weeks of problems along the Malibu coast. Swells from Hurricane Genevieve damaged Westward Beach near Point Dume in late July, while the city identified 23 red-tagged beachfront parcels along Pacific Coast Highway.
As high surf from Marie subsides, elevated tides could prolong coastal flooding and erosion through Thursday.
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