Mayotte has been left devastated after Cyclone Chido, the strongest storm in almost 100 years, tore through the French archipelago on Saturday. The destruction is immense, with entire neighborhoods flattened and countless lives shattered. “It’s as if an atomic bomb fell on Mayotte,” said Bruno Garcia, a hotel owner in Mamoudzou, Mayotte’s capital. “We lost everything.”
Cyclone Chido, a Category 4 storm, slammed the islands with winds exceeding 220 km/h (136 mph), leaving behind catastrophic damage. Hospitals, schools, homes, and the airport’s control tower were crushed. Aerial footage revealed entire villages reduced to rubble.
The death toll stands at 11, but officials fear it could rise to hundreds, possibly thousands. “I saw an entire neighborhood disappear,” said Mohamed Ishmael, a Mamoudzou resident. Mayotte’s Prefect François-Xavier Bieuville described the toll as “unimaginable,” particularly in informal settlements housing undocumented migrants, where rescue chances are slim.
Search and rescue efforts are hindered by destroyed roads, broken communication networks, and the overwhelming scale of devastation. Many undocumented residents, fearful of deportation, did not evacuate and are now unaccounted for. “We’ve been in the dark for three days—no electricity, no water, no rescuers,” said a distraught resident, Fahar.
Mayotte, already grappling with poverty, unemployment, and a migration crisis, is now reeling from this unprecedented disaster. Relief efforts are underway, but for many, hope feels distant. “Mayotte is destroyed… we are destroyed,” said Chad Youyou, a resident of the island.
