Thousands of British Columbians took cover Thursday morning as part of a massive worldwide earthquake preparedness drill.

The simulated shaking started at exactly 10:20 a.m. for the annual Great Shakeout Earthquake Drills, which are meant to increase awareness in case of what to do if a quake hits in your area. More than 50 million people in 70 countries took part in today's drill.

Over 790,000 people participated in the Great British Columbia ShakeOut.

Participants are instructed to stay where they are and drop, cover and hold on for at least one minute. It also stresses that the last thing you should do is run outside when the ground is shaking.

While B.C. hasn't had a major earthquake since a 9.0-magnitude tremor in 1700, the province sits in a geological region that puts it at risk. Seismologists warn another major quake they're calling "The Big One" could happen anytime.