When the outer edges of Super Typhoon Ragasa swept across Taiwan in late September, the damage was immediate and staggering. More than 7,000 people were evacuated as torrents of rain overwhelmed rivers and mountainsides. By the time the storm moved on, 18 people had lost their lives, six remained missing, and over a hundred were injured.
In Hualien’s Guangfu Township, the disaster deepened. A landslide months earlier had dammed a river, forming the hidden Matai’an Creek barrier lake. Ragasa’s relentless downpour forced the dam to collapse. Sixty million tonnes of water surged downhill, tearing through farmland and homes, and sweeping away bridges in minutes.
Families scrambled to higher ground, isolated and anxious, while soldiers and emergency services battled mud and broken roads to reach them. Guangfu bears the heaviest scars, yet its story echoes across Taiwan: when trial comes by water, it also reveals the strength we find in standing together.
Amid the devastation, hope arrived on rainboot-covered feet. Volunteers—ordinary people carving out time from their own lives—became lifelines. Local media and netizens celebrated them as different kinds of “supermen,” each defined by their acts of service.
The shovel supermen waded into mud-choked streets, hands raw but steady. The superchefs worked over hot stoves in relentless rhythm, their meals feeding both bodies and spirits. Others lent skills wherever needed, carrying supplies, guiding traffic, and lifting debris with unwavering resolve.
Some acts lingered in memory like small miracles. The Glutinous Rice Dumplings Supergrandma, dressed in bright red and a conical hat, handed out her homemade dumplings to volunteers and victims alike. The Boot-Washing Superwoman knelt on the ground scrubbing boots, joking with exhausted helpers, turning muddy labor into shared laughter. Bobcat superloaders and off-road drivers moved debris and delivered medical supplies with quiet determination.
The courage and dedication of these individuals inspire AMPOWER to uphold the same spirit of resilience and support. Beyond technology and solutions, what matters most is standing alongside communities, helping them recover, rebuild, and find strength in one another when it is needed most.
[Photo Source: 農業部林業及自然保育署, 農業部林業及自然保育署 FB, Focus Taiwan, CNA, Threads (tvbslivenews, emii.u_, yumiko___0620)]