According to Mayotte prefect Francois-Xavier Bieuville, several thousand individuals may have lost their lives, as reported by the local broadcaster Mayotte La 1ere on Sunday. French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau indicated that it could take an extended period of time to ascertain the precise number of casualties, as he briefed journalists upon his arrival in Mayotte for discussions with the local authorities. Cyclone Chido, classified as a category 4 storm, unleashed winds exceeding 136 mph upon the island, as disclosed in a bulletin from Météo-France, the nation’s meteorological service. Following its impact on mainland Africa, the storm diminished in intensity, according to the service. Amidst the devastation, the only audible sounds captured in footage from the scene are the calls of birds navigating through debris strewn across the ground. Various wooden fishing boats have been washed ashore on the beaches, with the inter-island ferry “Karihani” now stranded and entangled with wreckage at an awkward angle along the shoreline. Utility poles have been uprooted from the roadside, with wires flailing in the wind, whipping through the air amidst heavy rain. The scene depicts the “Karihani” inter-island barge marooned among debris in Mamoudzou.
Cyclones, known by various names such as typhoons and hurricanes, represent massive heat engines fueled by wind and rain, sustained by warm ocean waters and moist air. While all three are characterized by storm systems with wind speeds exceeding 74 mph, the nomenclature depends on the specific geographic location where the storm occurs. Hurricanes form in the North Atlantic Ocean and Northeast Pacific, typhoons manifest in the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean, while cyclones develop in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, as outlined by the U.S. National Ocean Service. Authorities have cautioned that it will require an extended period of time to determine the total number of fatalities resulting from the cyclone.
The cyclone season in the southwest Indian Ocean typically spans from mid-November to the end of April, as stated by Météo-France. Experts have issued warnings regarding the exacerbating impact of climate change on atmospheric conditions. A warmer atmosphere has the capacity to retain more moisture, amplifying the likelihood of warmer, wetter, and more intense atmospheric river storms, consequently heightening flood risks and associated costs. In 2023, over 1,000 individuals perished across Malawi and Mozambique in the aftermath of Cyclone Freddy, considered the most powerful tropical cyclone ever documented, as it traversed 5,000 miles across the Indian Ocean. The cyclone inflicted significant damage on Madagascar and Reunion before making landfall on the African continent.
