Chen Hao Yang

This photograph documents the site following the overflow and breach of a landslide-formed barrier lake in the Mataian Creek area of Hualien, Taiwan, in September 2025. The event was triggered by heavy rainfall brought by Typhoon Ragasa, which caused the water level of the natural dam to rise rapidly and overflow, resulting in flooding and the deposition of mud, sediment, and debris in downstream areas. In the frame, an elderly man sits on accumulated mud left behind by the floodwaters, with the visible mud line exceeding two meters in height. On the left, a roadside convex mirror reflects ongoing rescue and cleanup operations, where volunteers and on-site workers continue recovery efforts. These spontaneously organized relief actions are locally referred to in media discourse as “Shovel Volunteers.”