Sinkhole Swallows Nicolas Cage's Malibu Driveway, 31 Homes Evacuated

A 30-by-30-foot sinkhole opened up on Sea Level Drive in Malibu this week and took Nicolas Cage’s driveway with it. That wouldn’t be much more than a wild story about a celebrity’s bad luck, except the collapse stretched into the roadway, and that road is the only way in and out of the neighborhood. The City of Malibu issued an emergency“imminent danger”order for all 31 properties on the street. Seven homes were marked unsafe for occupancy right away, and the other 24 were red-tagged because emergency responders can no longer reach them.

Crews believe Hurricane Marie’s high waves and tides triggered the collapse through coastal erosion. No injuries have been reported, Cage’s home appeared to be under renovation at the time, and the American Red Cross opened a temporary shelter at Malibu High School for displaced residents. Neighbors on the street are now waiting on inspections and engineering assessments before anyone can say when they’ll be allowed back in.

If there’s a lesson in this one, it’s that the ground beneath a house matters as much as the house itself. Beachfront living comes with a view, and it also comes with a shoreline that moves whether we like it or not. Even a mansion with a famous name on the deed is only as solid as the dirt underneath it.

Would you ever buy a home on the water, knowing the ocean gets the final say? Let us know in the comments.