On September 23rd, 2025, the natural dam of a small, seemingly inconsequential barrier lake burst just above Guangfu Township in Hualien County, sending floodwaters, debris, and overwhelming amounts of mud through the small community situated just down the mountain. Almost immediately, thousands of volunteers flocked to the small town, putting a plethora of skills to use where they were needed most.

This series documents the aftermath of the Guangfu flood, the people working to rebuild their town in the weeks that followed, and these volunteers who are now known as “shovel superheroes.”

A sliver of road has been carved out from the mud after the Guangfu flooding in Hualien, Taiwan. You can see walls of mud on either side of the road.
A community sign for an area in Guangfu, Taiwan, that was hit hard by the flooding can be seen poking out of the rubble and mud.
A sign that says "I need a hand" in both Chinese and English is posted outside the door of a building in Guangfu Township in Hualien County, Taiwan.
A Taiwanese soldier who has been sent to Guangfu to aid in the flood recovery efforts touches the Taiwanese flag as he passes by. The flag is hanging from a building.
A yellow street-cleaning truck is driving down a muddy street in Guangfu Township and blasting water everywhere in order to clean the street after the flood.
A volunteer in protective clothing is disinfecting a residential street after the 2025 Guangfu flood in Taiwan.
Three people are inside a truck, handing out cold water bottles to flood recovery volunteers as they drive up and down the street of Guangfu Township.
Volunteers are helping one another board a tall military truck in Guangfu Township, Taiwan. They are there to aid in the recovery efforts after a massive flood.
A makeshift shuttle truck with its route written on the bumper in marker is transporting Guangfu flood recovery volunteers.
Two volunteers who are aiding in the Guangfu flood recovery efforts are holding a small kitten that they found among the wreckage.
A group of Taiwanese soldiers that have been sent down to aid in the Guangfu flood recovery efforts can be seen marching down a muddy street.
A Giangfu recovery volunteer is standing next to a mobile kitchen in the courtyard outside Guangfu Train Station and showing a sign of solidarity with his hand.
A Guangfu flood recovery volunteer is massaging another volunteer's leg outside Guangfu Train Station.
An older Taiwanese woman in a hat is pouring water over muddy concrete outside the Guangfu Train Station in Hualien County.
A pile of dirty rubber work boots is in the foreground and Guangfu flood recovery volunteers can be seen in the background cleaning.
A Guangfu flood recovery volunteer can be seen digging mud and silt out of a sewer in Hualien County, Taiwan.
Person wearing black rubber boots and black pants using a broom to sweep water and mud out of a home that was destroyed in the 2025 Guangfu flood.
Workers cleaning the inside of a home destroyed by the 2025 Guangfu flood. Other volunteers can be seen outside through the doorway.
A photo of a couple is on the wall of a home destroyed by water and mud in the 2025 Guangfu flood. A visible water line can be seen just below the photo and volunteers are in the background.
A red Lunar New Year decoration is on a wall in a home that was destroyed in the Guangfu flooding. It's torn and covered in mud. The gold Chinese characters say "inner peace and safety."