Officials say that at least 500 buildings were destroyed, but there were no reports of fatalities due to the tremor, which struck at 4:35 a.m. local time on Saturday, September 4.
Strong aftershocks caused additional damage and kept Christchurch residents on edge for days after the initial jolt.
Early estimates place the reconstruction costs to the South Island city at about $1.4. Christchurch mayor Bob Parker said he was "horrified by the amount of damage."