On February 3, 1931 the peace of New Zealand's Hawkes Bay region was destroyed when the area was hit by the worst earthquake in New Zealand's history. At 10: 46 am on that summer's day, the quake hit with a magnitude of 7. 9 on the Richter scale(里氏震级). The centre of the quake lied some 15 to 20 kilometers north of the two main centers, Napier and Hastings. The quake lasted for two and a half minutes. Many people died in the earthquake.
A fire broke out immediately after the quake. The fire started in a chemist's shop and spread quickly. Then the Fire Department in Napier came to help, but they were at a loss to control the fire as a result of losing their water supply.
However, the water supply in Hastings, was still usable, allowing them to fight back against the fire.
The force of the earthquake destroyed many of the city's famous landmarks. Chunks of the coastline were thrown into the sea. Napier's Bluff Hill, a popular tourist spot, was completely destroyed and thrown into the waters below.
Most of the major buildings in the city were completely destroyed. Roads and communications across the whole area were cut. People were afraid to enter their homes for days and found shelters at the local Motor Camp or on the beach. There were about 150 aftershocks(余震)in the 24 hours after the main shock. Over the next 2 weeks, there would be 525 such aftershocks.
