The earthquake caused significant land damage in the local area, with landslips blocking roads, including the main highway between Blenheim and Christchurch.

In Wellington, the earthquake caused minor damage to buildings, breaking some display windows and cracking plaster.

Many central city office workers left work early, and with all suburban train services cancelled for urgent track inspections, bus services overloaded and traffic gridlock occurred on major roads out of the city for a couple of hours.

The City Council ordered the deconstruction of a 30-year-old lift shaft that had been damaged in a previous earthquake in July, after recently installed emergency seismic restraints failed.

[citation needed] Damage was reported in the Kāpiti Coast, Hutt Valley, Wellington, Blenheim, Ward and the rest of West Upper South Island.