A 25-foot-deep sinkhole tore through the driveway of Nicolas Cage's Malibu mansion, forcing him out of his home and into hotels. The sinkhole, which started forming on September 7 and fully opened on September 8, 2026, left Cage's $10.5 million oceanfront property near 31630 Sea Level Drive exposed to more risk and triggered a local emergency response. Measuring about 30 by 60 feet, the collapse also blocked the only access road to the gated community, cutting off normal vehicle access for residents. The event happened during severe coastal conditions, with heavy surf and unusually high tides. Coastal erosion, tied to Tropical Storm or Hurricane Marie, had recently battered Southern California beaches. The erosion stripped away support beneath the driveway and nearby road, letting the sinkhole expand toward other homes and damaging infrastructure. A ruptured gas line raised the risk for emergency crews. Los Angeles Times and The Independent covered the incident and its fallout.
At Los Angeles Comic Con on October 31, Cage described his situation: "I'm currently a little bit homeless. Something happened to my house in Malibu so I'm just sort of living in hotels, so I don't have normal trick or treaters I would like to enjoy tonight," according to the Los Angeles Times. Nearly two months after the collapse, Cage was still displaced. The property remained uninhabitable or inaccessible while emergency and stabilization work continued.
Emergency response and property risk
The City of Malibu declared a local emergency on September 8, 2026, after the sinkhole fully opened. The emergency proclamation called the collapse an imminent danger to homes and residents along Sea Level Drive and allowed immediate response measures. Seven homes were red-tagged for hazardous conditions, and another 24 lost safe vehicle access, leading to the evacuation of 31 homes. Red-tagged homes were physically unsafe, while others couldn't be reliably reached by emergency services. A coastal flood advisory stayed in effect through 11:00 p.m. on September 8, with officials warning that ongoing erosion could make the collapse worse. No injuries were reported, but the loss of road access complicated emergency planning and evacuation for the neighborhood. According to The Independent, the evacuation order stayed in place for all affected properties, and no final city decision had been made about when residents could return.
Cage acted quickly, filing several emergency permits within days of the sinkhole's appearance. These included approval for debris removal, soil sampling, and placing sandbags around the home and nearby beach to protect against more erosion. The permits covered both immediate protective work and investigation of subsurface or soil conditions, not just a driveway fix. The timing was tough, as a strong swell from Hurricane Marie had recently changed beaches in Orange County, while Malibu faced its own coastal threats. The incident also damaged infrastructure and ruptured a gas line, raising the emergency-response risk, as reported by SURFER.
Insurance complications and coverage gaps
Standard home insurance policies usually exclude sinkholes and other "earth movement" events. In Florida, insurers must offer "catastrophic ground cover collapse" protection if certain criteria are met, but California does not require this coverage. Cage's home might meet some of the conditions that would trigger coverage in Florida, but in California, homeowners need to check their policies or buy extra protection for these events.
The city's emergency proclamation also mentioned the risk of flooding from a forecasted El Niño, which could make the sinkhole's impact worse. As repairs continue, Cage's efforts to save his property may involve complex talks with his insurance provider, given the limits of standard policies in California.
KTLA reporter Rich Prickett noted that Cage's house appeared to be under renovation when the incident happened. For now, the actor remains displaced, dealing with emergency repairs and the realities of insurance coverage after a rare and destructive sinkhole. The main access road, Sea Level Drive, stayed blocked, and as of early November 2026, there was no confirmed repair-completion date, final insurance settlement, or permanent reopening date. The event highlighted the vulnerability of coastal properties to extreme weather and erosion, and the need for specialized insurance and emergency planning for homeowners in high-risk areas. For more on the insurance implications, see our previous coverage.
