Dr. Kit Miyamoto

Earthquake Structural Engineer, Disaster Risk Reduction and Response Expert

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

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: https://t.co/FK3Ft8FA6J @UNHABITAT

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

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: https://t.co/TZYXo3OokB

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

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

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

@miyamotointl is responding to the June 24 Venezuela earthquakes in collaboration with the @statedept's Bureau of Disaster and Humanitarian Response. I will be joining today.

https://t.co/4mabe4pJjr

#VenezuelaEarthquake #DisasterResponse #HumanitarianResponse

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

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.

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

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

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

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

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

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.

https://t.co/KgZoDNAKJW

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

The goal of structural fire engineering is not to save the building. It is to buy time. Time to get out, and time for firefighters to get in.

https://t.co/HdPdU9Pd3A

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

In wildfire zones, the threat is embers, not flames. Class A roofing, 1/8-inch mesh vents and tempered glazing keep them out.

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

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.

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

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.

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

Most people think fire safety means sprinklers and smoke detectors. The structure itself is the last line of defense.

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

#SoftStory failures aren't random. They follow a pattern.

Weak ground floor. Stiff upper floors. The earthquake pushes sideways. The first story absorbs what it can't handle. The rest stays intact.

FEMA P-807 exists for exactly this.

Learn more: https://t.co/EtKxQhpPNT

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

Why wait for an EQ to find out if a building can survive it?

#FluidViscousDampers have been protecting structures for decades. The tech is mature. The engineering expertise exists.

The gap isn't technical. It's a decision that hasn't been made yet.

https://t.co/Un3gvlEnk4

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

Miyamoto engineers have assessed 600,000+ damaged buildings across 100+ disasters worldwide, helping determine what is safe, what can be repaired, and how communities recover faster.

#DisasterResponse #EarthquakeEngineering #UrbanResilience

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

Last Friday, @chicostate honored me with a Doctor of Humane Letters. This recognition is not mine alone.
It belongs to every community that trusted us to help them rebuild and to every person on the @miyamotointl team who has shown up when it mattered most.

#ChicoState

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

Y-shaped columns. Complex geometry. Real engineering challenges were solved before the first brick was laid.

Miyamoto's Amber Elliott on what it takes to turn a bold design into a building that stands. #Engineering

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

Deeply humbled.

@chicostate will honor me with a Doctor of Humane Letters on May 15. This belongs to every community that trusted us to help them rebuild.

Grateful beyond words.

https://t.co/PXChyKzaeC

[Dr. Kit Miyamoto @KitMiyamoto]

Resilient housing = smarter cities and faster economic recovery. Next week, @olivia_nielsen1 heads to Baku for #WUF13, bringing AI-powered data, 700,000+ assessments, and a proven model for speed and scale to the global housing conversation.

🔗 https://t.co/ipmOaxDBrf