UPDATED with evacuation order: Malibu city officials have issued an urgent evacuation order for a significant portion of the Point Lechuza community near Broad Beach. The order was prompted by a massive sinkhole that opened in the driveway of a beachfront property. Specifically, all residences located on the sand and along both sides of Sea Level Drive are subject to the mandatory evacuation. A map detailing the affected zones is provided below.
“The sinkhole poses an imminent danger to the homes and residents along Sea Level Drive.
As of the time of this proclamation, seven residences have been red-tagged due to hazardous
conditions directly resulting from the sinkhole, and an additional 24 residences will be red-tagged due to
the complete loss of safe vehicular access. Gas service to the affected area has been safely shut off, and water
service may also be discontinued as conditions warrant. These circumstances have significantly
impaired access to affected properties and created conditions requiring immediate emergency
response and protective measures,” the city stated in its official announcement.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies personally notified the affected residents of the evacuation order. Additionally, an emergency digital alert was broadcasted to the local community.
While the exact duration of the evacuation order remains unspecified, city officials highlighted both immediate and long-term environmental concerns. These include exceptionally high tides predicted for the upcoming days, as well as the potential impact of a forecasted Super El Niño this winter.
“Conditions are expected to deteriorate further with forecasted high tides and heavy rainfall. Hurricane Marie has already contributed to increased rainfall and severe coastal surf. A Coastal Flood Advisory remains in effect until 11:00 p.m. on September 8, 2026. An active El Niño rainy season is forecasted for the fall and winter of 2026. According to the NOAA Climate Prediction Center, the El Niño weather pattern is rapidly strengthening, with a probability exceeding 90% of a very strong (Super) event. A strengthening ‘super’ El Niño poses a significant risk of record sea levels, severe coastal flooding, and dramatic beach erosion along the California coastline this winter.
“Access for emergency personnel is severely restricted and potentially impassable, due to the
large portion of the roadway that has collapsed. The remaining intact section of the street is too narrow to
accommodate standard emergency response vehicles, including fire engines and other large apparatus,
creating a substantial risk to public safety and critical emergency response capabilities.”
PREVIOUSLY at 6 p.m.: While many residents of Los Angeles were occupied with unseasonable rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Marie, coastal beach communities have faced severe impacts from high tides and massive waves associated with the storm system.
Among the hardest-hit coastal enclaves are Malibu, where a massive sinkhole opened beneath a multi-million-dollar beachfront residence; Pacific Palisades, where ongoing coastal erosion has further exposed the remaining foundations of homes destroyed by last year’s wildfire; Long Beach, where rare wave action within the harbor combined with elevated tides to prompt emergency evacuations; and Dana Point, where multiple seaside estates have been red-tagged due to structural damage.
The Malibu sinkhole opened up along the sandy shoreline in the 31600 block of Sea Level Drive East, located within the secluded Point Lechuza neighborhood near Broad Beach. Dramatic photos from the scene reveal that while the beachfront home remains standing on pilings driven deep into the sand, the adjacent driveway has completely vanished, and large portions of the street are sliding into the ocean waves below.
Los Angeles County Fire Department crews responded to the initial call at approximately 5:45 a.m. Tuesday morning, arriving at the scene to discover not only significant structural wreckage but also an active gas main rupture.
According to a fire department spokesperson, the Southern California Gas Company was immediately summoned to the scene to safely shut off the gas supply.
“There is a massive sinkhole there, but the home is currently unoccupied,” the spokesperson stated.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the county fire department promptly closed the private road to all public access.
Malibu’s Building Safety Division and SoCal Gas crews worked collaboratively to assess the ongoing hazard, leading to the city red-tagging five nearby homes and prohibiting all entry.
“The city’s Building Safety Division and Southern California Gas Company will continue to closely monitor and assess the situation to determine ongoing safety concerns for the surrounding area, and will provide timely updates as new information becomes available,” city officials announced.
Malibu officials confirmed that they are “actively monitoring and responding to critical coastal erosion issues in areas including Pacific Coast Highway within the Palisades Fire burn zone and at Westward Beach. These efforts are driven by relentless strong waves and elevated tides, conducted in close collaboration with partner agencies.”
Malibu residents are expressing fears about the continued impact of forecasted strong storm systems on the iconic coastline and nearby shops and roads. pic.twitter.com/8UPD0UUD3P
— CBS LA (@CBSLosAngeles) September 8, 2026
A high surf advisory and a coastal flood advisory are currently in effect until 11:00 p.m. Tuesday for portions of the Los Angeles County coastline. Meanwhile, a separate coastal flood advisory has been extended until 11:00 p.m. Wednesday for Orange County.
Over the weekend, Hurricane Marie directed waves with 10-foot faces directly toward the south-facing shores of Malibu and Orange County. Although the storm system remained well offshore, it transported substantial moisture toward the region. Combined with evening high tides exceeding 7 feet, this resulted in localized flooding at parking lots in Seal Beach and Zuma Beach, as well as seawater “flowing into homes and streets” in Long Beach, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
The Long Beach Fire Department reported on Monday night that approximately 20 homes along Seaside Walk, spanning from 63rd to 67th Place, were evacuated. The evacuation was necessitated by a compromised seawall and significant damage to the local boardwalk.
Additional reports from the scene described damaged and severely cracked concrete pathways situated between several of the coastal residences.
“These evacuation orders are being issued out of an abundance of caution while the Building Department evaluates the structural integrity and condition of these homes,” the LBFD stated in an official update.
In the affluent South Orange County community of Dana Point, approximately a dozen high-value properties were red-tagged as uninhabitable after powerful waves undermined the slab foundation of at least one beachfront structure.
The extensive damage observed this weekend may only be a precursor to the severe weather expected to impact coastal communities this winter. The National Climate Prediction Center recently forecasted “a greater than 90% chance of a very strong [El Niño] event during the Northern Hemisphere fall and winter of 2026-27.”
Such an event would bring not only the threat of devastating mudslides in the hillsides of coastal communities, but potentially record-breaking surf relentlessly pounding beaches that are already severely eroded.
“The city is actively preparing for potential severe storms, powerful waves, heavy rainfall, mudslides, and significant coastal erosion along the entire Southern California coast, driven by the forecasted strong El Niño conditions,” Malibu officials announced today.
City News Service contributed to this report.