Hundreds, Perhaps Thousands, Feared Dead After Cyclone Hits Mayotte

Hundreds, perhaps thousands of people, are feared dead after Cyclone Chido slammed into the French colony of Mayotte off the east coast of Africa on Sunday. The massive storm packed more than 136 mile-per-hour winds. Chido destroyed makeshift houses. It cut power and communications. It also rendered water supplies unsafe to drink. 

Chido is one of the worst storms to hit Mayotte in almost 100 years. The storm's current death toll was 20 on Monday morning. Then, rescue crews combed through rubble to search for survivors. Prefect François-Xavier Bieuville is the island chain’s top official. Bieuville gave a statement on local TV. Bieuville said that the final casualty count would far exceed 20.   

The storm flattened whole neighborhoods of metal shacks. It badly damaged the main airport tower. This halted commercial flights into the island. Chido also wrecked the main hospital. And that's in a region already plagued by severe problems. In Mayotte, 3 of 4 people live under France’s poverty line. It's thought to be the poorest territory in the European Union.   

"It really is a war landscape,” Mayotte resident Camille Cozon Abdourazak told Reuters. It was via a video call. “There's not even a tree left … there's not a blade of grass.”   

John Balloz lives in Mamoudzou. It's Mayotte’s capital. He told Reuters that when the storm hit he could "see the end coming for me."    

The French government is rushing 800 more rescue workers to assist in relief and recovery efforts. Twenty tons of aid have been shipped to Mayotte from nearby Reunion island. This aid includes clean water, hygiene supplies, and buckets for boiling water. Island residents, meanwhile, are scrambling to find food as people line up outside grocery stores still standing after the storm.  

Reflect: How can communities and countries work together to provide help to those affected by natural disasters?