A collapsed driveway outside Nicolas Cage’s Malibu home has developed into a neighborhood-wide emergency, forcing residents from 31 affected properties.
The damage was reported at about 5:45 a.m. Sept. 8 on Sea Level Drive, where authorities responding to a gas leak found that a beachfront driveway had collapsed. By that same evening, Malibu had declared a local emergency and ordered evacuations as the collapse spread into the private roadway and restricted the neighborhood’s only entrance and exit.
Malibu says the surviving section of road cannot provide reliable access for fire, medical and law-enforcement personnel, while gas and water service were shut off to reduce the danger of additional utility failures.
No injuries have been reported. The City of Malibu says the homeowners association has already begun permitted repair and shoring work, currently expected to take about five weeks depending on conditions, while the evacuation order remains in effect.
The Driveway Collapse Spread Into the Neighborhood’s Only Road
CITY OF MALIBU STATEMENT ON DRIVEWAY COLLAPSE AND GAS LEAK AT SEA LEVEL DRIVE SEPT. 8, 2026
The City of Malibu is responding to the collapse of a driveway on a beachfront property and resulting gas leak on Sea Level Drive in western Malibu reported at approximately 5:45 AM… pic.twitter.com/w522ejkTQp
— City of Malibu (@CityMalibu) September 8, 2026
Los Angeles County firefighters and sheriff’s deputies responded shortly before 6 a.m. after damage to natural-gas infrastructure was reported on Sea Level Drive. The City of Malibu initially described the incident as the collapse of a beachfront driveway and a resulting gas leak.
SoCalGas brought the leak under control within several hours and temporarily shut natural-gas service along part of the street as crews assessed the danger from continuing erosion. The Associated Press confirmed through property records that the damaged residence is owned by Cage.
The situation worsened as the collapse extended beyond the driveway and into Sea Level Drive. Malibu says the private street has a single entry and exit, making the remaining roadway especially important for both residents and emergency crews. By Tuesday evening, officials said the intact portion had become too narrow for fire engines and other large emergency apparatus to use safely.
Seven Properties Faced Direct Hazards, While 24 Lost Safe Vehicle Access
Malibu initially prohibited entry to five homes while inspectors assessed the collapse. By Tuesday evening, the city had expanded its emergency action to 31 affected parcels.
The city’s emergency declaration distinguished between seven residences red-tagged because of hazardous conditions associated with the sinkhole and another 24 affected because safe vehicular access had been lost.
For many residents, the immediate danger is that firefighters, sheriff’s deputies or medical responders could not reliably reach them if another emergency occurred. The American Red Cross established a temporary shelter at Malibu High School for displaced residents. No injuries were reported.
Malibu Says Hurricane Marie-Related Coastal Erosion Caused the Sinkhole
The collapse occurred during a period of unusually damaging surf along the Southern California coast. Malibu’s latest official update attributes the Sea Level Drive sinkhole to coastal erosion caused by high waves and tides associated with Hurricane Marie.
Marie remained offshore but generated powerful swells along Southern California after previously reaching hurricane strength. AP reported that the Malibu collapse occurred while the region was under a coastal flooding advisory connected to the storm’s lingering effects.
SoCalGas shut off gas service to the affected area Tuesday evening to address the original leak and reduce the possibility of additional breaks. Waterworks District 29 also shut off water service as a precaution against damage to water mains while the ground remained unstable.
City officials said they were also monitoring erosion along Pacific Coast Highway in the Palisades Fire burn area, Point Dume State Beach and other vulnerable sections of coastline.
Repairs and Shoring Could Take About Five Weeks
SEA LEVEL DRIVE SINKHOLE INCIDENT UPDATE – 9/9/2026
The City of Malibu continues to respond to a sinkhole on Sea Level Drive caused by coastal erosion from high waves and tides associated with Hurricane Marie. The incident was reported at approximately 5:45 AM Tuesday, Sept. 8.… pic.twitter.com/v0PKVxRcG1
— City of Malibu (@CityMalibu) September 9, 2026
Sea Level Drive is privately controlled by the homeowners association, which Malibu says began permitted repair work within hours of the incident.
Crews are now continuing construction and shoring intended to stabilize the damaged area. The city’s current estimate is approximately five weeks, although officials explicitly say that timeline depends on conditions and have not announced a guaranteed date for residents to return.
Cage purchased the four-level beachfront residence in 2024 for $10.5 million. Property records place the approximately 3,938-square-foot home at 31630 Sea Level Drive, between the Pacific Ocean and Pacific Coast Highway.