Cyclone Chido devastates Mayotte, France
On 14 December 2024, Cyclone Chido, a Category 4 storm, hit Mayotte, a French archipelago in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar.
With winds exceeding 220 km/h, Chido was the strongest storm to affect the islands in over 90 years, destroying buildings and key infrastructure, including roads and electrical grids, and impacting the ability of rescue crews to reach residents. Authorities report that hundreds of casualties have likely resulted from the storm, while survivors face shortages of electricity, water, and aid. Rescue teams have been dispatched from France and the nearby French territory of Reunion to support recovery operations in Mayotte.
The Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) has been activated (EMSR780) to provide detailed maps of the affected areas. This data visualisation, based on CEMS data, depicts the damaged and destroyed buildings and transportation infrastructure in the areas of interest. More information is available on the CEMS website.
