Just after 1.42 p.m. on 2 March 1987, an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale hit New Zealand's Bay of Plenty, centered on Edgecumbe. Because the earthquake was very shallow, at about 8 km from the earth's surface, it was felt over a large area. The earthquake was the most damaging New Zealand has experienced in recent decades, with approximately 50% of the houses in Edgecumbe being damaged by the quake.