Malibu Evacuations Ordered After Huge Sinkhole Opens at Nicolas Cage’s Home
MALIBU, UNITED STATES — WEB DESK: Authorities ordered evacuations from an exclusive coastal neighbourhood in Malibu, California, after powerful Pacific waves carved out a massive sinkhole beside a beachfront property owned by Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage, raising fears of further erosion and structural damage.
The sinkhole appeared Tuesday as heavy surf battered the Southern California coastline, with conditions linked to the remnants of Hurricane Marie in the Pacific. By Tuesday evening, the crater was approximately 25 feet (7.6 metres) deep and was estimated to reach as much as 60 feet (18 metres) across in places.
Photographs showed concrete, tiles and other debris inside the crater as ocean waves continued flowing into the eroded area.
Malibu Orders Residents to Evacuate
The City of Malibu declared a local emergency after the sinkhole formed near 31630 Sea Level Drive.
An evacuation order was issued for affected properties, with Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies notifying residents in person while the city also distributed a digital emergency alert.
The order reportedly affected dozens of homes in the wealthy coastal community.
Authorities were concerned that continued wave action could further undermine beachfront properties and infrastructure.
Sinkhole Opens at Nicolas Cage Property
The damaged oceanfront property belongs to actor Nicolas Cage, according to AFP’s updated reporting.
Cage, known for films including Leaving Las Vegas, purchased the property for approximately $10.5 million, AFP reported.
The crater formed around the property’s driveway, with the continuing erosion reaching close to structural supports.
Earlier aerial photographs showed the sinkhole dangerously close to the house’s double garage.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Waves Reach Up to 15 Feet
The destructive surf was linked to the remnants of Hurricane Marie.
National Weather Service meteorologist Richard Thompson said Southern California had experienced substantial swells over several days.
At the peak of the event, waves reached approximately 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.5 metres) in some locations, accompanied by significant beach erosion.
The repeated impact of large waves can remove sand and other supporting material from coastal areas, leaving roads, foundations and other structures increasingly vulnerable.
In Malibu, the ocean continued reaching into the sinkhole as the coastline eroded.
Other California Homes Also Threatened
Malibu was not the only Southern California community facing damage from the powerful surf.
Farther south in Dana Point, truckloads of boulders were positioned along the beach in an attempt to protect threatened properties.
Seven homes there had already been declared uninhabitable, while one was reported to have partially collapsed into the sea.
The incidents highlight the vulnerability of properties constructed close to rapidly eroding sections of the Southern California coastline.
Hurricane Remnants Drive Dangerous Surf
The immediate driver of the Malibu emergency was heavy surf generated by the remnants of Hurricane Marie.
Although the hurricane itself was not making a direct strike on Malibu, energy from the storm generated substantial Pacific swells capable of travelling considerable distances.
Those waves then reached Southern California beaches, producing dangerous surf and accelerated coastal erosion.
Another system, Hurricane Lowell, was simultaneously affecting Hawaii with damaging winds, flooding and widespread power outages.
Strong El Niño Adds to Pacific Weather Concerns
The extreme Pacific weather is occurring during a near-record-strength El Niño episode.
El Niño is a naturally occurring climate pattern involving unusually warm surface waters across parts of the tropical Pacific Ocean. It can substantially alter storm tracks, rainfall and weather patterns around the world.
AFP reported that scientists believe human-caused climate warming could amplify some effects associated with extreme weather conditions.
However, attributing an individual sinkhole or specific wave event directly to climate change would require dedicated scientific analysis.
The immediate cause identified in the Malibu incident is powerful surf and resulting coastal erosion associated with the hurricane-generated swells.
No Injuries Reported
Despite the scale of the erosion, there were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries in the Malibu sinkhole incident.
The evacuation order was precautionary as authorities sought to keep residents away from homes potentially threatened by continued erosion.
Officials were monitoring the coastline as waves continued battering the area.
The greatest immediate concern is whether additional sections of land could collapse if powerful surf continues removing material beneath coastal properties.
Coastal Erosion Becomes Immediate Safety Threat
The incident demonstrates how quickly coastal erosion can become a structural emergency.
A beachfront property may appear stable above ground even as repeated waves remove sand and soil underneath roads, driveways or foundations.
Once underground support is lost, sections of land can collapse suddenly.
In the Malibu incident, images showed waves entering the crater itself and moving beneath the elevated beachfront structure.
That continuing interaction between the ocean and already weakened land explains why authorities extended the response beyond the individual property and ordered nearby residents to evacuate.
What Happens Next?
Malibu authorities will be watching surf conditions, the stability of affected properties and whether erosion continues around Sea Level Drive.
Residents covered by the evacuation order will depend on safety assessments before returning to threatened homes.
The incident could also intensify debate over the long-term vulnerability of luxury development along erosion-prone sections of California’s coastline.
For now, the immediate emergency remains highly localised but serious: a sinkhole reaching roughly 60 feet across and 25 feet deep has opened beside Nicolas Cage’s Malibu home, while dozens of nearby properties have been placed under evacuation orders as authorities monitor continued coastal erosion.
