The 1934 Pahiatua earthquake struck at 11:46 pm on 5 March, causing severe damage in much of the lower North Island.

Destructive intensities of VIII (Severe) were experienced in an area that extended approximately 8700 km2 over most of the lower North Island, and reached a peak of IX (Violent) south-east of Pahiatua, between the small towns of Pongaroa and Bideford.

[5] The earthquake was most severe in the Hawke's Bay and northern Wairarapa regions (now the Tararua District est.

Two people with existing health problems died from heart failure,[6] and one person sustained injuries that required hospitalisation.

[2] The movement also triggered numerous small landslides in the cliffs along the coast from Cape Turnagain to Castlepoint, and deformed the ground surface in a number of localities.