Malibu shifts from storm response to preparation
By The Malibu Times · Sat Sep 19 2026
Sea Level Drive evacuation remains in effect for 31 properties as city prepares for El Niño, further erosion
Malibu is shifting from immediate storm response to preparing for the months ahead as coastal erosion continues to threaten homes, roads, and infrastructure from Sea Level Drive to Pacific Coast Highway. At Monday night’s Malibu City Council meeting, City Manager Joe Irvin provided an update on the Sept. 8 Sea Level Drive emergency and said the city has demobilized its Emergency Operations Center as the incident moves from the initial emergency response into the repair and recovery phase.
However, the mandatory evacuation order and red-tag designations remain in effect for all 31 affected properties, and there is no timeline yet for when residents will be allowed to return.
Irvin said the city activated its Emergency Operations Center following the Sept. 8 collapse, issued an emergency proclamation and evacuation order, established a temporary shelter at Malibu High School, and coordinated with Southern California Edison, Los Angeles County Waterworks District 29, Southern California Gas, OSHA, the homeowners association’s engineering team, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
“The first day, there was a lot of moving parts,” Irvin told the council, adding that the coordination among agencies was “second to none.”
The city’s latest official update confirms that although the Emergency Operations Center has been demobilized, the evacuation and red tags will remain until conditions are deemed safe. Sea Level Drive is the only route into and out of the affected neighborhood, and the damaged roadway currently prevents normal access as well as safe access by emergency personnel.
Sixty percent of roadway gone
Community Development Director and Building Official Yolanda Bundy provided new details about the severity of the damage during Monday’s meeting, telling council members that approximately 60% of the road is gone near 31630 Sea Level Drive.
Bundy also clarified that the incident frequently referred to as a “sinkhole” was actually the result of coastal erosion and scouring that undermined the seawall and eroded portions of the roadway.
Three properties have sustained more serious damage involving driveways, foundations, or septic systems. Bundy said the remaining structures were not considered compromised as of Monday night.
The greatest immediate concern is a home with a compromised foundation system.
“The priority right now, besides shoring that road, is the parcel that has the foundation system that is compromised, because we don’t want to lose that structure,” Bundy said.
All 31 properties remain under evacuation orders because the damaged section of Sea Level Drive cannot be crossed. Approximately half of the homes were occupied when the evacuation began, Bundy said.
The neighborhood also remains without gas and water service, while 13 properties were without electricity as of the council update. Fire engines, ambulances, and other emergency vehicles cannot safely reach the affected homes, making restoration of the roadway and utilities a priority.
A temporary construction access area has been established to support work on properties on the south side of the road. Bundy said the area is now effectively a construction site, with OSHA and other safety measures in place.
The affected homeowners association, along with licensed engineers and contractors, is responsible for overseeing repairs. Irvin said the city is working with them on debris removal, engineering and temporary and permanent solutions.
“We will always expedite our city review and issuance of permits for the site,” Irvin said.
City preparing for ‘Super Niño’
The Sea Level Drive collapse comes as Malibu prepares for what could be a particularly challenging fall and winter along its already vulnerable coastline.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center issued an El Niño Advisory on Sept. 10, reporting that El Niño continues to strengthen and that there is a greater than 90% chance of a very strong event during fall and winter 2026-27.
A strong El Niño does not guarantee that Malibu will experience destructive storms, but the potential for heavy rain, high surf, and wave events is particularly concerning because portions of the coastline have already been weakened by erosion and the destruction of beachfront homes and seawalls during the Palisades Fire.
Bundy told the council that Malibu is preparing a major outreach effort for what officials referred to as a “Super Niño,” with education for beachfront homeowners expected to be a significant component.
“The city is also getting ready to do a massive outreach on preparation for a Super Niño,” Bundy said. “Some homeowners, they don’t know what to do. They want to do their best, but they don’t know what to do.”
The city plans to develop step-by-step preparedness information and encourage beachfront property owners to understand the condition of their foundations, seawalls and other coastal protection systems.
Councilmembers encouraged beachfront property owners to consult coastal engineers before the winter storm season rather than waiting until damage occurs.
Irvin said the city is actively examining coastal roadways under its jurisdiction to determine where additional protection may be needed. On private beachfront property, however, maintaining seawalls and other structures is generally the property owner’s responsibility.
City building inspectors are not conducting blanket inspections of private beachfront properties, officials said, but will flag dangerous conditions when they encounter them and will respond when residents contact the city with concerns.
Bundy encouraged residents who see potential problems to contact Building and Safety so the city can assess the situation and, when necessary, reach property owners who may not live in Malibu full time.
PCH erosion raises larger questions
Sea Level Drive is only one of several coastal areas under scrutiny.
The city has been sounding the alarm for months about worsening erosion along PCH in the Palisades Fire burn area, where the destruction of beachfront homes and seawalls has left portions of the shoreline more exposed to wave action.
The city reported in July that high tides and surf had accelerated erosion and brought the eroding shoreline increasingly close to the highway in several locations.
Following inspections of all 320 beachfront parcels, the city reported Aug. 11 that seven additional properties had been deemed unsafe, bringing the number of red-tagged parcels to 23. Caltrans and SoCalGas have continued monitoring the corridor, and Caltrans has considered interim stabilization measures based on conditions at individual sites.
At one of the most critical locations, officials identified seawall and crib-wall failures, an exposed septic tank and exposed utilities, prompting Caltrans to undertake emergency protective work.
The issue is also developing into a broader debate over who should pay to protect the highway. Malibu officials have been pushing Caltrans and state officials to move toward permanent stabilization measures rather than allowing responsibility for protecting a state highway to fall primarily on individual beachfront property owners.
The city warns that continued erosion could remove material supporting the PCH roadway embankment and that El Niño conditions could allow a single significant storm cycle to produce erosion that otherwise might occur over months.
Malibu Pier, Paradise Cove also discussed
Council members Monday also raised concerns about the condition of Malibu Pier and Paradise Cove Pier, along with the danger posed when stairs, pilings, and other coastal structures break loose during heavy surf and become debris in the ocean.
City officials said Malibu is monitoring coastal conditions citywide and coordinating with other agencies when problems are identified.
Irvin reported that California State Parks is progressing through the final design and permitting process for Malibu Pier repairs. According to his council update, the biological resources assessment has been completed along with draft 100-percent plans, although a firm construction start date has not been established.
Paradise Cove Pier is privately owned, but city officials said they would reach out regarding its condition.
Officials also told the council that a broader “Super Niño Task Force” is being created to coordinate preparations and outreach across Malibu.
Westward Beach and Point Dume among vulnerable areas
Recent high tides and surf have also caused significant erosion around Westward Beach and Point Dume.
Westward Beach Road beyond the pay gate and the Point Dume Beach parking lot have been closed because of erosion.City and county officials previously reported unstable bluff edges and significant drop-offs in some locations, while erosion also damaged infrastructure serving beach facilities.
The problems underscore a much larger challenge identified in Malibu’s 2026 Coastal Vulnerability Assessment, which evaluates the potential effects of sea-level rise, tidal inundation, storm flooding and coastal erosion through the end of the century.
Malibu is also pursuing nature-based approaches to coastal protection. The City’s Malibu Living Shoreline Project, in partnership with The Bay Foundation and Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors, focuses on restoring sandy beach and dune habitat at Zuma and Point Dume to improve shoreline resilience.
While ocean conditions are substantially calmer than those that contributed to last week’s damage, city officials made clear Monday that the threat facing Malibu’s coastline extends well beyond a single storm. Ocean conditions have eased considerably from the powerful Hurricane Marie-driven surf and unusually high tides that battered the Malibu coastline last week, but the National Weather Service continues to warn beachgoers about dangerous rip currents.
From the evacuated homes on Sea Level Drive and erosion threatening PCH to damaged beaches and concerns surrounding coastal structures, officials are now turning their attention toward strengthening vulnerable areas and helping residents prepare before the next major wave or storm arrives.
As Bundy told the council, “There’s a lot ahead for us.”