Worst cyclone in almost a century batters France’s Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte

by Mick the Ram

At least two people have reportedly been killed by the effects of Cyclone Chido, which smashed into the French overseas territory of Mayotte.

The island dependency in the Indian Ocean, was on the receiving end of wind gusts reaching more than 225km/h (140mph), prompting the French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau to declare a fear of a “heavy” death toll.

French officials have announced that 250 firefighters and security personnel will be sent to the islands, with some having already arrived.

Even before the cyclone hit with full force on Saturday morning, there were reports of trees being uprooted, roofs being ripped off buildings and power lines being downed.

Mayotte was initially placed under a purple alert, which is the highest level and triggers a “strict lockdown for the whole population” and that also includes emergency services, which obviously magnifies the situation.

Thankfully this has since been lowered to the next level down (red) that does permit those services to leave their bases.

The cyclone is also expected to hit Mozambique on the African mainland, and Zimbabwe citizens have been told to prepare for possible evacuations.

 Underinvested and repeated struggles

 Located north-west of Madagascar, Mayotte is an archipelago comprised of one main island, Grand-Terre, and several smaller ones and has a population of just over 300,000.

It is France’s poorest island and has previously struggled with drought and underinvestment.

Help on its way

The island’s Pamandzi airport suffered major damage, especially to the control tower, and the local broadcaster reported that thousands of homes were without power, tin huts and other small structures had been blown away and many trees had been blown over.

The French Interior Ministry clarified that 1,600 police and gendarmerie officers were being deployed from France and the nearby territory of Reunion, to “help the population and prevent potential looting”.

Worst since 1934

The head of Mayotte’s firefighters’ union, Abdoul Karim Ahmed Allaoui, told how mobile phone service had been knocked out and even buildings built to earthquake standards had failed to hold up, in what is being claimed to be the islands most violent and destructive cyclone since 1934.

He explained how the command centre had been evacuated and was only functioning at “partial capacity”.

President and PM issue reactions

 French President Emmanuel Macron said France would “be there” for the people of Mayotte, whilst his new Prime Minister, François Bayrou, who only took up office 24 hours earlier, said the cyclone was of “exceptional severity”.

He confirmed that he was being updated with regards to the situation on an hourly basis, but was unable to give accurate figures on fatalities or injuries at “this early stage”.

Comoros also takes a hit

The storm also severely damaged the Comoros Islands to the north of Mayotte, where authorities have ordered all ships to remain anchored in harbours and have closed the main airport and government offices.

They also said they were very concerned for a group of 11 fishermen, who had gone out to sea several days ago and had not been heard from since.

Mainland next

It is now roaring towards the east coast of Africa, with Mozambique, some 800 km (497 miles) away, expected to suffer extensive damage.

The country’s disaster agency has warned that 2.5 million people might be affected in the northern provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula.

Worries over possible disease

 Further inland Malawi and Zimbabwe were also preparing for probable flooding and landslides, with the likelihood of evacuation orders.

Another major problem that accompanies the cyclones is the potential for stagnant pools of water that could spark deadly outbreaks of waterborne cholera disease, along with dengue fever and malaria.