Hualien: When the Matai’an Creek barrier lake in Hualien County overflowed on September 23, it unleashed massive floods in the county’s Guangfu Township that left devastation in their wake. At least 18 people were killed by the floodwaters, and huge mounds of mud and debris were scattered across the area. As government agencies struggled to deploy enough people to help residents and clean up affected areas, individuals sacrificed their Teachers’ Day weekend to support the township and fill in the gaps.
According to Focus Taiwan, local media and netizens have since celebrated these selfless volunteers and sorted them into different categories of “supermen” based on their contributions. The most popular group is the “shovel supermen,” who went to help clear the area armed with nothing more than their own rainboots and shovels. Another of the more popular supermen have been the “cooking supermen,” who have prepared meals around the devastated areas for both victims and volunteers. A smaller group of individuals has attempted to do what they can for the volunteers and communities by performing support tasks that matched their skills.
The efforts of a few of these volunteers have especially captured the attention of netizens and also the media, garnering them special “supermen” titles. Among them is the “Glutinous Rice Dumplings Supergrandma,” an elderly woman dressed in bright red and a conical hat, who was seen handing out free glutinous rice dumplings outside Guangfu Train Station over the long weekend. Another is the “Boot-washing Superwoman,” who stationed herself around the premises of the Guangfu Train Station to scrub boots before volunteers boarded the train on their journey home.
The “Superchefs,” an advanced version of the cooking supermen, are a group of Hualien cooks from other communities who volunteered to set up camp at Guangfu to cook for volunteers and victims. Meanwhile, the “Bobcat Superloaders” comprised owners and operators of Bobcat brand loaders who traveled around the Guangfu area digging away mud and debris.
Among the biggest challenges of the natural disaster was getting medication and equipment into Guangfu Township. The “Off-road Superdrivers” came to the rescue by using their off-road vehicles to transport medical equipment and items to medical tents around the affected area.
Lastly, a music video titled “Supermen in Rainboots” was uploaded onto the YouTube channel of “DaAi Channel Malaysia.” Written by Malaysian news reporter and songwriter Ang Wui Chong, the song celebrates the Guangfu Township volunteers. Ang, who has experienced flooding in his hometown of Kelantan, felt compelled to contribute to the community by writing the song.
