Satellite Images Reveal Devastation: Over Two-Thirds of Hualien's Taiping Village Submerged in Mud After Dam Breach

Before and After Imagery Contrasts Lush Farmland with Muddy Wasteland Following Matanxi Barrier Lake Overflow

Following the overflow of the Matanxi barrier lake on the 23rd, which caused severe damage in Guangfu Township, Hualien, new satellite images have provided a stark visual of the aftermath. These images, released by the Dong Hwa University disaster prevention team's "Matanxi Barrier Lake Monitoring Record," show a dramatic transformation of the once vibrant green rice paddies in Guangfu Township. After being inundated by debris and mud from the overflowing barrier lake, the landscape has become a vast expanse of gray mud. Taiping Village, the area most severely affected, has seen over two-thirds of its land swallowed by the mud, obliterating the familiar scenery of farmland and settlements.

The "Matanxi Barrier Lake Monitoring Record" has published pre-overflow orthophotos of Guangfu Township, which, when compared with the post-disaster satellite imagery released by the Center for Space and Remote Sensing Research at National Central University, clearly illustrate the catastrophic impact of the mudslide. Taiping Village has suffered the most significant damage, with nearly two-thirds of its total area covered by mud and sediment. Neighboring Changqiao Village and Datong Village have also been similarly inundated, becoming vast mudfields.