Prefect François-Xavier Bieuville described Chido as Mayotte’s most violent and destructive cyclone since 1934. Residents reported electricity poles and trees brought down, roofs torn from homes and water entering buildings. More than 15,000 homes had lost power, while telephone and other links were largely interrupted. The territory’s many informal settlements, often built on exposed slopes, faced particular danger from the winds.
Pamandzi airport on Petite-Terre sustained major damage, especially to its control tower. Acting Transport Minister François Durovray said air traffic would initially resume for military aid flights, while ships were being sent to support resupply. The Mayotte hospital centre also suffered major material damage, according to Health Minister Geneviève Darrieussecq, adding strain to the emergency response.
Authorities had converted more than 70 schools and gyms into shelters before the cyclone arrived. About 100,000 people living in the most vulnerable housing had been urged to use them. The highest violet alert imposed a general lockdown, including on emergency services, during the worst conditions. It was later lowered to red so responders could deploy, although residents were still told to remain indoors because the danger had not fully passed.
France prepared reinforcements for the archipelago. Acting Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau ordered full mobilisation of police and security services, and officials said 140 additional troops and firefighters would arrive the next day. An A400M military transport aircraft was also due to carry aid and civil-security equipment. Approximately 1,600 police officers were already on the ground.
Chido crossed northern Mayotte from east to west before continuing toward Mozambique. The storm also caused flooding and property damage in the nearby Comoros islands, though officials there said the impact was less severe. French leaders convened a crisis meeting in Paris as local crews began clearing roads for emergency access and authorities worked to establish the full human and material cost.
The emergency unfolded in France’s poorest department, an archipelago of roughly 320,000 people located about 500 kilometres east of Mozambique. That geography complicated the response: damage to the airport constrained immediate air access, ships needed time to arrive, and the communications blackout limited information from affected neighbourhoods. Officials were therefore relying on staged military flights, maritime resupply and local road-clearing teams.
