Everyone alright?! I have been through my share of these!:)Westi
5.2-Magnitude Quake Rocks San Francisco Area
Tuesday, May 14, 2002
SAN FRANCISCO — A 5.2-magnitude earthquake shook the San Francisco Bay area on Monday, violently rattling hockey and baseball games and knocking out phone service in parts of San Jose.
The quake jolted the Compaq Center in San Jose where the San Jose Sharks were playing the Colorado Avalanche in a National Hockey League playoff game.
The upper stands of the arena shook strongly for about 10 seconds and light fixtures continued to sway for several seconds afterward. The game continued uninterrupted, however.
"Everything was shaking," said Michel Goulet, vice president of player personnel for the Avalanche, who was sitting in the stadium's upper level. "You start thinking, 'Should I run or what?' I wasn't sure what to do."
The U.S. Geological Service reported that the quake struck at 9:29 p.m., and had a preliminary magnitude of 5.2 centered 3 miles southwest of Gilroy, outside San Jose.
No significant damage was initially reported.
The quake caused a low rumbling in San Francisco, where it seemed to last for several seconds and get stronger as it went along.
"It was a pretty good swing," said a phone operator at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco who was flooded with calls from guests worried about the shaking. "One guy on the 15th floor said his room just started swaying."
The quake also jolted Pacific Bell Park during a game between the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants, but play was not interrupted.
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.
After the bottom of the ninth ended with the score tied, the stadium sound system played Jerry Lee Lewis' song "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On."
The temblor was immediately followed by four earthquakes centered in the same area with magnitudes ranging from 1.4 to 2.5.
Buildings could be heard rumbling in Watsonville, about 100 miles south of San Francisco.
foxnews.com |
