Monday, May 13, 2002. A magnitude 5.2 earthquake centered near Gilroy -- the strongest earthquake in Santa Clara County in nearly 10 years -- rocked the Bay Area on Monday night, causing moderate damage and rattling nerves throughout the area.

The temblor, which struck at 10 p.m., was centered about three miles southwest of Gilroy. It was felt throughout the South Bay, Peninsula and East Bay and as far away as the Central Valley, jolting residents as far east as Modesto and as far north as Sacramento.

While there were few injuries and little damage reported in most areas, the earthquake shook the upper decks of Compaq Center -- where the San Jose Sharks were in the third period of a playoff game -- caused water damage at a Wal-Mart in Gilroy and started a fire in San Jose.

Dan Fenton, 28, of Sacramento was watching the Sharks game in the upper deck of the arena and described the quake as heavy and rolling. ``It was like a big whip,'' he said. ``Most people were just looking around; it was moving forward and back.''

At Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, officials reported five minor injuries, including a woman with a bump on her head and another woman who fell, according to Karen Bolt, a hospital spokeswoman.

Pacific Bell reported phone service was interrupted in parts of Santa Clara County for short periods. Service was back to normal within a half-hour of the quake.

``We experienced network congestion and delayed dial tone in some areas from 10 p.m. to 10:25 p.m.,'' said Pacific Bell spokesman John Britton. ``We don't have any infrastructure damage.''

The quake was followed by a cluster of aftershocks measuring between 1.4 and 2.5 within 15 minutes, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Terry Allen, assistant manager at the Gilroy Safeway on First Street, said she was surprised by the late-night quake. ``We have a few groceries on the floor, but nothing major,'' she said. ``We cleaned it right up.''

She said the store was closed for about an hour to clean up the mess.

The only minor crisis at the store happened when Cisco Olivo, the desperate father of 2-week-old son Anthony, arrived to find the store closed. He begged the 12-person night crew that had been cleaning up the mess to let him in; he needed diapers for his newborn. The crew opened up and took care of him and several other customers.

Gilroy Mayor Thomas Springer was having coffee with city council members when he felt a slow rumble. ``It sounded like a truck went through the building,'' he said.

Springer said little damage was reported in the agricultural town about 25 miles south of San Jose. He confirmed water damage when a sprinkler system erupted at the local Wal-Mart on Arroyo Circle.

``As earthquakes go, this one was pretty normal,'' he said. ``The worst news of the day was that the Sharks lost.''

Alicia Rodriguez, a supervisor at the Denny's Restaurant in Gilroy, said she was making notes on her shift schedules when the quake hit.

``My pen was going one way and the paper started going the other,'' Rodriguez said. ``The whole restaurant was moving.

``A bunch of people ran out the door, but there was no damage, thank goodness -- just a lot of scared customers.''

Danny Sharma moved to Gilroy just over a year ago from his native Fiji. He had experienced smaller earthquakes, but nothing like this.

``I was a bit scared,'' said Sharma, the manager at the Rodeway Inn. ``It looked like the ceiling was going to fall. I had no idea that an earthquake was like this.''

At 10:07 p.m., the San Jose Fire Department received a report that a water heater in a single-family home on Miller Avenue near Bollinger Road had been knocked over during the earthquake, prompting a fire in the garage that destroyed the roof of the house. Firefighters had it under control within an hour.

``The house is pretty much a total loss,'' said Brian Ferry, San Jose fire dispatcher.

At Compaq Center in downtown San Jose, the quake shook the hanging scoreboard and upper level of the arena with nine minutes left in the game between the Sharks and the Colorado Avalanche. The Sharks lost in overtime, 2-1.

``I looked around; I said something wrong is going on here. Everything was shaking,'' said Michel Goulet, vice president of player personnel for the Avalanche, who was sitting in the upper level. ``You start thinking, `Should I run or what?' I wasn't sure what to do.''

The quake was also felt at Pacific Bell Park, where the Giants were playing the Atlanta Braves. Glass panes in the front of the press box rattled in the ninth inning with the Braves batting. There was no noticeable reaction from the players or the crowd of 36,331.

Bay Area transportation systems were affected by the temblor, but only slightly. Caltrain was running about a half-hour behind. BART trains were stopped briefly while the tracks could be checked then resumed.

The San Benito County Sheriff's Department reported no damage by 11:35 p.m.

In January 1993, an earthquake measured between 5.1 and 5.7 on the Richter scale struck about seven miles east-northeast of Gilroy on the Calaveras Fault.

The last major quake to hit the area was the Loma Prieta earthquake in October 1989. The quake killed 62, injured dozens and interrupted the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A's.