CAPE TOWN, South Africa — The French territory of Mayotte has been struck by another tropical storm this past Sunday, following a devastating cyclone that wreaked havoc on the islands only a few weeks earlier. The island nation is now facing the challenge of recovery from the impacts of one of the worst cyclones to hit the area in nearly a century.
In light of the impending storm, a red alert was issued in Mayotte, urging residents to remain indoors or seek solid shelter. Authorities advised people to stock up on food and water supplies as Tropical Storm Dikeledi brought with it heavy rainfall and strong winds, causing flooding in some regions. The archipelago, located in the Indian Ocean off the eastern coast of Africa, was just beginning its rebuilding efforts after Cyclone Chido struck on December 14, which resulted in at least 39 fatalities, over 200 individuals still unaccounted for, and injuries to more than 5,000 people.
The cyclone also left a mark on nearby Madagascar, where three casualties were reported after Dikeledi made landfall as a cyclone on Saturday, according to the country’s official disaster management office. Similar to Mayotte, certain areas of northern Madagascar were placed under a red alert.
By the time Dikeledi reached Mayotte, it had weakened to the status of a tropical storm, as noted by the French meteorological service, Meteo-France. The center of the storm was expected to pass roughly 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of the islands, in contrast to Cyclone Chido, which hit Mayotte directly.
Meteo-France cautioned, however, that Dikeledi could regain strength and transform back into a cyclone. Authorities in Mayotte emphasized the risk of flooding and landslides and had issued the red alert on Saturday night, which would remain active throughout Sunday. Residents were instructed to stay indoors until the alert was lifted, as announced by the Mayotte Prefecture, the governmental entity managing the territory.
“The risk to the population remains,” the prefecture disclosed on its official Facebook platform, indicating that while conditions might calm temporarily, violent weather was expected to return later in the day.
To address the crisis, Mayotte reopened cyclone shelters at schools and community centers to assist those in need, while the international airport, which had already sustained significant damage from Cyclone Chido, was closed until further notice.
In light of the extensive destruction caused by Cyclone Chido, officials are taking precautionary measures. The devastation prompted backlash from residents who expressed anger toward French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit shortly after the disaster. Mayotte’s population has previously accused the French government of neglect towards the territory, which is the poorest region in the European Union.
The French Interior Ministry confirmed the mobilization of emergency personnel and security forces in preparation for Dikeledi, with particular attention directed at the vulnerable shantytowns surrounding the capital city of Mamoudzou—areas that suffered tremendous losses during Cyclone Chido. Many residents who lost their homes in the earlier cyclone were still seeking proper shelter when Dikeledi made its approach.
Reports from the national television station Mayotte la 1ère indicated that the southern village of Mbouini, one of the few areas previously spared by the cyclone, had been hit hard and nearly destroyed by flooding caused by Dikeledi. Footage showed residents of Mbouini fleeing their submerged homes in wooden canoes.
Mayotte is home to a densely packed population of approximately 320,000 people, coupled with an estimated 100,000 undocumented migrants from neighboring Comoros and other countries drawn to the territory due to its French welfare benefits.
Cyclone Chido was deemed the worst to impact Mayotte in the last 90 years, with confirmed deaths totaling 39; however, French Prime Minister François Bayrou has cautioned that the final tally could reach into the hundreds. The challenges faced by authorities in documenting the casualties stem partly from the high number of undocumented migrants affected and the Muslim custom of burying deceased individuals within a day of their death.
After wreaking havoc on Mayotte, Cyclone Chido moved onto mainland Africa, claiming over 100 lives in Mozambique and Malawi. Meteorologists predict that Dikeledi will change course, moving south and then eastward back toward Madagascar before exiting into the sea after its passage over Mayotte.
The cyclone season in the southwestern Indian Ocean runs from November to April, and the region has seen a range of powerful storms in recent years. Cyclone Idai in 2019 is widely regarded as the most devastating, resulting in over 1,500 deaths across Madagascar, Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, impacting more than 3 million people.
