1863 Hawke 's Bay earthquake was a devastating magnitude 7.5 ( ML ) earthquake that struck near the town of Waipukurau on February 23 , 1863 . It remained the single largest earthquake to strike Hawke 's Bay until 1931 , where a magnitude 7.8 quake leveled much of Napier and Hastings and killed 256 people
magnitude 7.8
1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake
1863 Hawke's Bay earthquake