Dr. Kit Miyamoto (@KitMiyamoto) header
Dr. Kit Miyamoto (@KitMiyamoto) profile picture

Earthquake Structural Engineer, Disaster Risk Reduction and Response Expert

California, USA
Joined June 2019
Photo by Dr. Kit Miyamoto (@KitMiyamoto)Photo by Dr. Kit Miyamoto (@KitMiyamoto)Photo by Dr. Kit Miyamoto (@KitMiyamoto)Photo by Dr. Kit Miyamoto (@KitMiyamoto)Photo by Dr. Kit Miyamoto (@KitMiyamoto)Photo by Dr. Kit Miyamoto (@KitMiyamoto)Photo by Dr. Kit Miyamoto (@KitMiyamoto)Photo by Dr. Kit Miyamoto (@KitMiyamoto)Photo by Dr. Kit Miyamoto (@KitMiyamoto)Photo by Dr. Kit Miyamoto (@KitMiyamoto)
This week at @pttow NXT Summit, I talked about the gap between disaster and recovery. After a disaster, families need one answer fast: is this building safe? Rapid assessment, trained local engineers, global support. That’s how we close the gap. #Resilience #DisasterRecovery
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Grateful to the American people, through the U.S. @StateDept, for funding our earthquake response in #Panama, helping communities recover and rebuild. @usembpan 🇺🇸🇵🇦 @miyamotointl #DisasterResponse #Recovery #Resilience #USA
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Next week I'm on the main stage at #PTTOWNXT. Disasters are increasing. Recovery isn't keeping up. I'll share how AI-based assessment, local engineers and a global response network can bring communities back faster, with lessons from #Venezuela. See you there! #DisasterRecovery
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Not every damaged building has to come down. Many can be saved, and knowing which ones is where recovery begins. In Tanaguarena, our team completed detailed assessments of repairable buildings so families can return home. @statedept + @miyamotointl miy.to/vzeq-hub
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Our team is on the ground in #Panama, assessing buildings so families know where it’s safe to return. That’s where the road to recovery begins @Statedept #DisasterResponse
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Day two of debris removal, and the progress is remarkable. Yesterday I was here, and today it looks completely different. Our local contractors are best suited to lead this work, and they are moving quickly because people live here. @statedept miy.to/vzeq-hub
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After 90 days on the ground, debris removal has officially begun. Without it, nothing can happen here. This is the first step of recovery, and we are working with competent local contractors who are ready to go. @statedept miy.to/vzeq-hub
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The work in #Venezuela continues. Across #LaGuaira and #Caracas, Miyamoto engineers are still assessing quake-damaged buildings one by one, house by house, with local engineers. Recovery is built one family at a time. @statedept miy.to/vzeq-hub #DisasterRelief
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Walking through a #Caracas neighborhood, an older woman asked us to check her house. Cracked walls, then a dozen families asking for help. Real recovery means seeing the whole picture, including damage that doesn't show on the surface. @statedept miy.to/vzeq-hub
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Tomorrow I’ll join a UN panel on urban resilience, sharing lessons from our recent work in Venezuela and discussing practical public-private collaboration for disaster resilience. July 17, 3:00–4:30 p.m. ET. Watch live: webtv.un.org/ @UNHABITAT
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Sharing a few notes from my first day of earthquake reconnaissance in Venezuela on Monday. Many families asked us to inspect their homes. Read my journal: miyamotointernational.com/ki…
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Saw this firsthand in the field. One detail missing. One building down. That's how it happens. If done right, this area can be rebuilt. @StateDept DHR. @USEmbassyVe #VenezuelaEarthquake #DisasterResponse
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I will arrive in Venezuela on Sunday with more members of the Miyamoto team. We are joining Chuy, who has been assisting USAR teams after the earthquake. More from the field soon.
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At @miyamotointl, we’re looking to connect with structural engineers and built‑environment professionals in Caracas and beyond. Local expertise is essential for recovery. If that's you, email us at [email protected] #VenezuelaEarthquake #DisasterResponse
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Strongest earthquake in over a century. 235 dead. 4,000+ injured. Thousands missing. An estimated 5 million people are without safe housing overnight. Our team flies into Colombia, then by ground into Venezuela. Credit: @abc10tv #VenezuelaEarthquake
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Our is on the ground after the #VenezuelaEarthquake. 10.65 million people exposed to severe shaking from the M7.2/M7.5 doublet, and the building stock vulnerability makes this especially dire. miy.to/rarvz
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In wildfire zones, the threat is embers, not flames. Class A roofing, 1/8-inch mesh vents and tempered glazing keep them out.
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The fix is simple: a 1/2-inch gypsum layer under the joists can double the time to failure. Fireblocking in wall cavities stops fire from racing between floors undetected.
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Modern homes use engineered I-joists. Efficient, but their thin webs burn fast. UL and NIOSH research shows unprotected I-joist floors can fail in as little as 6 minutes. Solid lumber: 15 to 20.
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