Volunteers returned in droves to Hualien County’s Guangfu Township (光復) yesterday, the first day of the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, trading shovels for brooms, squeegees and power tools as they helped residents clean homes and restore utilities.
Heavy rainfall brought by Super Typhoon Ragasa caused a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) to burst on Sept. 23, flooding Guangfu Township.
Driven by volunteer efforts to remove mud from homes, the first phase of the cleanup is nearly complete, and work is now focused on cleaning and utility repairs.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan Railway Corp said that more than 20,000 volunteers had arrived at Guangfu Station as of noon yesterday, with many wearing rainboots and carrying brooms, mops and hoses.
An electrician from Tainan named Lin (林) said replacing outlets and light switches would take about half a day per household. However, he was concerned that mud had seeped into the wiring and damaged protective casings, increasing the risk of future short circuits. Lin recommended that residents replace all wiring, which would take at least a full day.
A resident surnamed Hsieh (謝) stood at her doorway to thank passing volunteers. She said seeing the once-massive piles of mud removed made her grateful for the support from people around the country.
Photo courtesy of the military via CNA
Central Emergency Operations Center chief coordinator Chi Lien-cheng (季連成) said that volunteers are welcome and would be assigned work upon arrival.
Many households had damaged doors and windows, and preparations for future typhoons require 10,000 sandbags, which must be filled by hand, Chi said, adding that volunteers could help prepare them for distribution.
Liang Ting-wei (梁庭蔚), an officer with the Army Huadong Defense Command responsible for volunteer coordination, said that the military dispatched 2,413 troops to the disaster area yesterday, adding that volunteer turnout was higher than usual on the first day of the three-day holiday.
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