Earthquake Structural Engineer, Disaster Risk Reduction and Response Expert
California, USA
Joined June 2019
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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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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…
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
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.
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
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
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
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.
miy.to/sef
In wildfire zones, the threat is embers, not flames. Class A roofing, 1/8-inch mesh vents and tempered glazing keep them out.
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.
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.
Most people think fire safety means sprinklers and smoke detectors. The structure itself is the last line of defense.
#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: miy.to/ss
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.
miy.to/fvd
