The town is named after the small village of Edgecumbe in Cornwall , United Kingdom , between Penryn and Helston . Edgecumbe was linked with Tauranga and Auckland by rail , with the opening of the East Coast Main Trunk Railway and Taneatua Express in 1928 . In 1987 , a large earthquake centered on Edgecumbe shook the Bay of Plenty , causing widespread damage and causing much of the population to leave Edgecumbe . In July 2004 , May 2005 and April 2017 , the town experienced heavy flooding that ruined many homes . In the 2005 flood , the river swelled to within 5 cm of breaching the flood banks that had been put in place seven years prior
large earthquake
1987 Edgecumbe earthquake
Edgecumbe