Cyclone Chido: Worst Storm To Strike French Territory Mayotte In Over 90 Years.

As cyclone Chido hit France’s poorest territory Mayotte, emergency workers struggled to restore essential services and search for survivors. The winds exceeded 200 kph (124 mph) destroying homes, uprooting trees, and damaging public facilities. French meteorological service Météo France termed Cyclone Chido the worst storm to strike Mayotte in over 90 years.

Although the official death toll on Monday morning stood at 14, considering the intensity of the cyclone, authorities in Mayotte fear hundreds and possibly thousands of deaths.

Alongside tons of supplies and relief matrials, France promptly sent rescue teams and medical personnel to the island off the east coast of Africa. It has been reported that residents queued outside grocery stores in search of water and other basics

On Friday and Saturday, Cyclone Chido ripped through the southwestern Indian Ocean affecting the nearby islands of Comoros and Madagascar. Mayotte was worst affected as it was located directly within the cyclone’s path. It made landfall in Mozambique on the African mainland late Sunday.

In a meeting with the press, France’s acting Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said it would take days to assess the full scale of devastation while expressing concerns that the death toll would be “heavy, too heavy.”

“I wouldn’t be able… to give you any figures, not for the moment anyway. It’s clear that the island is totally devastated. It will take days and days to establish the human toll,” he told French media”, he added.

With communications severed in many areas, people have turned to social media for updates on family members. Meanwhile, maritime and aerial relief operations were underway, with assistance being transported from Reunion Island, another French territory.

Speaking to Reuters Camille Cozon Abdourazak a resident affected by the cyclone stated, “It really is a war landscape. I don’t recognise anything any more. There’s not even a tree left, the hills, there’s not a blade of grass, it’s extraordinary,”

Mayotte’s main hospital in Mamoudzou remained operational despite flood damage to critical units. Acting Health Minister Genevieve Darrieussecq announced plans for a field clinic and the deployment of 100 additional medics to support overwhelmed healthcare services.

French President Emmanuel Macron on X announced the need for swift action and declared he would visit Mayotte soon. He promised emergency relief and declared a forthcoming day of national mourning to honor victims.

Political leaders and lawmakers took the moment to highlight climate change’s increasing impact, particularly on impoverished regions like Mayotte, where over 75% of its 321,000 residents live in relative poverty.

After devastating Mayotte, the cyclone weakened as it made its way to northern Mozambique, where it also destroyed several homes.