Cyclone Chido's Deadly Lesson About Housing in Mayotte

You might think a home is just a place to live. But when Cyclone Chido swept through Mayotte this week, it proved that the strength of your house can mean the difference between life and death.

According to French emergency response officials, the potential death toll could reach into the thousands, making this one of the deadliest storms to hit the region (1). As teams track Cyclone Chido's aftermath, they're finding whole neighborhoods reduced to rubble.

Why Housing Made This Storm Deadlier

The numbers paint a grim picture of life in Mayotte. French government data shows about 40% of homes use metal sheets for walls, and a third lack running water. Most striking is the income gap—the average person here makes just 260 euros monthly, compared to 2,600 euros in mainland France (2).

When Cyclone Chido's path cut through these vulnerable areas, many residents faced an impossible choice. With the Cyclone Chido tracker showing the storm heading straight for them, most had nowhere safer to go.