Sinkhole Cuts Off Services, Access to 31 Coastal Homes Tuesday, as Hurricane Marie Whips up Malibu Waves

A large sinkhole opened under a Malibu beachfront driveway this week, collapsing pavement, damaging utilities, and prompting a local emergency. Officials say coastal erosion and leftover storm swell from former Hurricane Marie washed out the ground beneath Sea Level Drive. No injuries have been reported. The City of Malibu issued an evacuation order for 31 homes on Sea Level Drive

Los Angeles County firefighters were called to the 31600 block of Sea Level Drive around 5:45 a.m. Tuesday after reports of a suspected gas-main break. Crews found the driveway gone and a crater opening toward the beach. By Tuesday evening, the city said the hole had grown to roughly 25 to 30 feet deep and about 30 by 60 feet wide. Southern California Gas Co. shut off service along part of the street as a precaution.

Malibu declared a local emergency after the expanding hole cut off safe access for residents and emergency vehicles. Officials later expanded the response to 31 properties. Some homes were red-tagged because of hazardous conditions at the sinkhole; others were restricted because vehicles could no longer reach them. The American Red Cross opened a shelter at Malibu High School. The city warned that more high tides and rain could worsen the erosion.

Does the house belong to Nicolas Cage?

City of Malibu

Evacuation order issued for 31 homes on Sea Level Drive

Multiple outlets, including the Daily Mail, have identified the property as the oceanfront mansion Nicolas Cage bought in 2024 for $10.5 million. That identification traces back to a 2024 New York Times real-estate report in which the previous owner, Lenard Liberman, said Cage purchased the family's Malibu house. Property records cited by later coverage also match that sale. The home is a four-level, roughly 4,000-square-foot residence with beach access, built in the 1990s by the late Jose Liberman.

Cage's representatives have not confirmed ownership in connection with this week's collapse, and they had not issued a public comment as of Wednesday. News organizations covering the sinkhole have generally described the house as "reportedly" or "widely reported" as Cage's, rather than as a statement from the actor. Local reports also said no one appeared to be home at the time; the residence looked to be under renovation.

In short: the seller publicly named Cage as the 2024 buyer, and subsequent reporting has treated that as the working identification. The actor's camp has not verified it during the current emergency.

The house itself has not been clearly shown as structurally destroyed. The immediate damage is to the driveway, adjacent pavement, and buried utilities. Officials are still assessing whether the residence can remain occupied once access and gas service are restored.