David Swanson / AFP via Getty Images/Jack Gruber-USA TODAY
Nicolas Cage next to a sinkhole in front of his home in Malibu, California
The coast of Southern California was battered by a sizable storm surge linked to a hurricane in the Pacific Ocean over Labor Day weekend. The water managed to do a fair amount of damage, and it was also linked to the sinkhole that swallowed the driveway of the home Nicolas Cage owns in Malibu.
Most hurricanes that impact the United States form over the Atlantic Ocean before making landfall in the eastern part of the country, but the West Coast isn’t immune to the effects of those massive storms.
There’s only been one recorded instance of a tropical storm making landfall in California (which was linked to the deaths of 45 people in 1939). However, the state is still impacted by the lingering effects of non-direct hits (averaging around one storm per year), and the risk tends to increase when El Niño rears its head.
That is the case in 2026, and Los Angeles and the surrounding area was swamped by rising coastal waters during the long weekend courtesy of Hurricane Marie. Malibu declared a state of emergency as some residents were forced to evacuate, and Nicolas Cage will need to replace his driveway after a sinkhole opened up right in front of his house on the beach.
A sinkhole opened up directly in front of the $10.5 million home Nicolas Cage owns in Malibu
There are plenty of risks that come with owning a house on a beach, and Cage learned that lesson the hard way due to what transpired after the shores of Malibu were battered by 10-foot waves that were responsible for some severe erosion.
According to The Los Angeles Times, that erosion was linked to the sinkhole that formed in front of the $10.5 million home the actor owns on Sea Level Drive on Tuesday, one that officials in Malibu say is 30 feet deep and 60 feet wide.
#BREAKINGNEWS: A driveway to a home in Malibu collapsed into a sinkhole Tuesday morning amid coastal erosion, causing a gas main rupture. https://t.co/e5NGxzU7Jg pic.twitter.com/IcO7v2kfhi
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) September 8, 2026
It appeared some work was already being done on the home (which Cage purchased in 2024) based on some scaffolding that was erected around it, and “a new driveway” will seemingly need to be added to the list of repairs when you consider the sinkhole swallowed the one that was there.
City of Malibu Declares Existence of Local Emergency Following Sinkhole from Coastal Erosion at Sea Level Drive, and Issues Evacuation Order for Affected Properties
Sept 8, 2026 – The Director of Emergency Services of the City of Malibu has declared the existence of a local… pic.twitter.com/YY2YDpMaoH
— City of Malibu (@CityMalibu) September 9, 2026
It’s currently unclear if the home suffered any structural damage, but it is one of more than 30 that have been “red-tagged,” meaning residents must evacuate as crews tend to a suspected gas leak that has led to the utility (as well as water) being shut off in the area.