By CBC News

Thousands of people across B.C. took part in a massive earthquake drill Wednesday.

Radio stations across the province sounded an alarm at 10 a.m. PT and participants dove under desks, tables or any other sturdy piece of furniture for a minute to practise what to do when the so-called Big One hits.

Heather Lyle, co-chair of The Great British Columbia Shakeout, said this was the first time a province-wide drill has been conducted, and the goal is to create awareness that bolting from a shaking building is the worst thing to do.

"When you try to quickly run out of a building, first of all an earthquake's gravity will pull you to the ground, but secondly fleeing a building ... makes you vulnerable to things falling on top of you, being hit by flying debris," Lyle said.

Although the last 9.0 magnitude quake in B.C. was in 1700, seismologists have warned that B.C. sits in a geological zone prone to earthquakes.

-With files from The Canadian Press

Read more.

What kind of emergencies or disasters could happen in your area? Would you be prepared for an emergency? Let us know in the comments below.

We'd also love to see how this earthquake drill in B.C. works. If you participated in The Great British Columbia Shakeout, share your photos, videos and personal accounts. You can upload your photos here, share them in our Flickr pool, or email them to yournews@cbc.ca. Upload your videos here.