Shake Out aims to prepare B.C. for ‘the big one’ [Video]

This week is earthquake awareness week and many British Columbians marked it by participating in the Great B.C. ShakeOut event.

The Port of Vancouver hosted the annual event to raise awareness for earthquake emergency preparedness.

“Drop, cover and hold on” is what organizers of the ShakeOut want people to practice for what is sometimes called “the big one.”

“It’s not ‘if,’ it’s ‘when’ the big one strikes,” said Naomi Yamamoto, the president of BC Earthquake Alliance.

“The big one” is the powerful earthquake that is expected to strike the west coast between northern Vancouver Island and northern California within the next 50 years.

“If that whole thing ruptures, it would be an over magnitude 9 earthquake,” said Alison Bird, an earthquake seismologist with Natural Resources Canada.

She says the shaking could last around 30 seconds, crumbling some buildings and potentially triggering a tsunami.

It’s why she and other emergency preparedness …