Editing 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake (section)

==Damage and effects==
{{more citations needed section|date=February 2013}}
[[File:Ahuriri Lagoon map before after 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake crude.png|thumb|Comparison map of the extent of Ahuriri Lagoon before (left) and after (right) the earthquake]]
Nearly all buildings in the central areas of Napier and Hastings were levelled ([[The Dominion Post (Wellington)|''The Dominion'']] noted that "Napier as a town has been wiped off the map").<ref name="NZHA87"/> At the time New Zealand's most damaging earthquake to buildings since European settlement began around 1840.{{sfn|Dowrick|1998|p=141}} The material damage of the earthquake was estimated at ${{Format price|{{inflation|NZ|512,000,000|1998}}}}.{{sfn|Dowrick|1998|p=140}}

The local landscape changed dramatically, with the coastal areas around Napier being lifted by around two metres.<ref name="NZHA87">''New Zealand Historical Atlas'' – McKinnon, Malcolm (Editor); [[David Bateman]], 1997, Plate 87</ref> The most noticeable land change was the uplifting of some 40&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of sea-bed to become dry land. This included [[Ahuriri Lagoon]], which was lifted more than 2.7 metres<ref name="NZHA87"/> and resulted in draining {{Convert|9000|acre|ha|order=flip}} of the lagoon.<ref name="teara1966">{{Cite web |date=1966 |title=The Hawke's Bay Earthquake, 1931 |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/disasters-and-mishaps-earthquakes/page-2 |access-date=12 May 2024 |website=[[An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand]]}}</ref> Today, this area is the location of [[Hawke's Bay Airport]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Morton |first=Jamie |date=4 December 2023 |title=Why next major Hawke's Bay earthquake could cause opposite effect of 1931 disaster |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/why-next-major-hawkes-bay-earthquake-could-cause-opposite-effect-of-1931-disaster/CE2R762LPFC4FE3I6QBTEBPLCY/ |access-date=11 May 2024 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]]}}</ref> housing and industrial developments and farmland.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

=== Fires ===
Within minutes fires broke out in a few chemist shops in Hastings Street, Napier.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=The 1931 Earthquake {{!}} Napier City Council |url=https://www.napier.govt.nz/napier/about/history/napier-earthquake-1931/ |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=napier.govt.nz}}</ref><ref name=":5" /> The fire brigade almost had the first fire under control when the second broke out in a shop at the back of the Masonic Hotel.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} The fire continued to spread through adjoined wooden buildings, which led to the entire town being engulfed in flames by the afternoon.<ref name=":0" /> The wind at this point also picked up strength and began blowing from the east, pushing the fires back over the city.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} The day was hot and dry which increased the fire's ability to spread. With water mains broken, the brigade was unable to save many buildings. Attempts were made at pumping water from the sea, but these failed.<ref name=":0" /> Fire engines at Napier's central fire station were covered in debris from the earthquake which made them unavailable for use.<ref name=":5" /> Pumping water from Clive Square, they were able to stop the fires spreading south. Only a few buildings in the central Napier area survived. Some withstood the earthquake only to be gutted by fire. Trapped people had to be left to burn as people were unable to free them in time.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} It took until the following afternoon for the main fires to go out,<ref name=":0" /> but the ruins still smouldered for several days.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} In Hastings, the fires were quickly brought under control.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

=== Utilities ===
The entire east coast of the North Island lost electricity during the quake, although power was restored to [[Masterton]], [[Pahiatua]], [[Dannevirke]] and [[Waipukurau]] within two hours, and to [[Gisborne, New Zealand|Gisborne]] within ten hours. At Napier substation, the transformers were tipped over by the force of the quake and the high-voltage switchgear damaged, while the Napier to [[Tuai]] transmission line was taken out of service after a landslide caused a tower to collapse. A limited supply was restored to Napier and Hastings on 4 February; due to the damage at Napier substation, the Waipukurau to Napier transmission line was jumpered to the low-voltage switchgear at both ends. The Napier to Tuai line was repaired and put back into service on 12 February, while full supply to Napier substation was restored on 29 March.<ref>{{Cite web|date=1931|title=AtoJs Online – Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives – 1931 Session I-II – D-01 PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT (BY THE RIGHT HON. J. G. COATES, MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS).|url=https://atojs.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/atojs?a=d&d=AJHR1931-I-II.2.2.2.1&pg=101&e=-------10--1---bySH---0-AJHR_1931_IZz-II_DZz-I-|access-date=26 February 2021|website=atojs.natlib.govt.nz}}</ref>

There was also severe damage to sewerage systems, gas supply and telegraph systems.{{sfn|Dowrick|1998|p=145}}

=== Transport ===
The earthquake caused great damage to Napier's roads, railways,<ref name="teara1966" /> bridges and wharves. Rails were badly twisted.{{sfn|Dowrick|1998|p=142-143}} The city's [[tram]] tracks were also twisted, and were never restored.<ref>{{cite web |title=Napier Earthquake |url=http://library.christchurch.org.nz/Kids/NZDisasters/Napier.asp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080216185652/http://library.christchurch.org.nz/kids/nzdisasters/napier.asp |archive-date=16 February 2008 |access-date=13 February 2008 |work=Christchurch City Libraries}}</ref>

New Zealand's first commercial air disaster occurred six days after the quake, when a [[Dominion Airlines]] [[Desoutter]] monoplane crashed near Wairoa. The small airline had been making three return trips a day between Hastings and Gisborne, carrying passengers and supplies. All three on board were killed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=First fatal accident on a scheduled air service in New Zealand |url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/first-fatal-air-accident-in-nz |access-date=2024-04-15 |website=nzhistory.govt.nz}}</ref>

=== Miscellaneous ===
A group of prisoners working at Bluff Hill in Napier had four of their number buried in a landslip by the quake. The remaining prisoners dug them out, but two had been killed. The prisoners re-assembled without any attempt to escape and were locked up in the Napier Jail. In [[Taradale, New Zealand|Taradale]], [[Mission Estate]] missionaries' accommodation block had been built and opened in February 1931. The next day the Hawke's Bay earthquake struck, causing serious damage to the entire Mission. Two priests and seven students were killed when the stone chapel was destroyed. In [[Havelock North, New Zealand|Havelock North]], St Luke's church was damaged (but not destroyed) just before a wedding was due to take place. The couple got married later in the day, but outdoors.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

About 10 per cent of homes on soft ground in Napier experienced ground damage, such as liquefaction.{{sfn|Dowrick|1998|p=141}} There was a large amount of damage to buildings, mainly ones made of brick; the earthquake occurred at a time before an earthquake building code was introduced.{{sfn|Dowrick|1998|p=146}} The Napier ''Daily Telegraph'' newspaper office was destroyed by the quake,{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} and so was the ''Hawke's Bay Herald''{{'}}s printing facility in Hastings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Hawke's Bay Tribune |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/hawke-s-bay-tribune |access-date=11 May 2024 |website=[[PapersPast]]}}</ref> [[Napier Technical College (New Zealand)|Napier Technical College]] was destroyed in the earthquakes, which caused it to be disestablished and amalgamated into [[Napier Girls' High School]] and [[Napier Boys' High School]].<ref name="historicplacesaotearoa">{{Cite web |date=1 May 2014 |title=H B Heritage News |url=https://historicplacesaotearoa.org.nz/assets/HPHB-NEWSLETTER-1-May-2014.pdf |access-date=12 April 2024 |website=historicplacesaotearoa.govt.nz}}</ref>