The 1987 Edgecumbe earthquake measured 6.5 on the moment magnitude scale and struck the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand at 1.42 pm on 2 March.

[3][4] The main shock was preceded for two weeks by earthquake swarms in two areas of the Bay of Plenty.

The land on the north-western side dropped by up to 2.1 metres (6.9 ft),[9] and that area is now more prone to flooding.

[10] The Rangitaiki Plains is part of the Whakatāne Graben and both lie within the Taupo Volcanic Zone, which is widening and subsiding.

[4] Twenty-five people suffered injuries that needed medical attention, but no-one was killed.