In early December of 2024, in the Indian Ocean, a tropical depression–an area of low pressure combined with circular wind flow created by thunderstorms that rests above an ocean–developed into a cyclone, devastating many areas in its path. Cyclone is the term used to describe hurricanes that form over the South Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. This particular storm, Cyclone Chido, elevated to a Category 4 cyclone and made landfall in places like the French-controlled territory of Mayotte and the countries of Comoros and Malawi, leaving thousands without power and water.

Cyclone season takes place around the same time as hurricane season and lasts along the same length of time, taking place from June until November. However, cyclones can occur outside this time period, as evident with Cyclone Chido. After forming in the Western Indian Ocean on December 7, Cyclone Chido travelled west and made landfall first in Mauritius, an island nation close to Madagascar, and then passed over the northern edge of Madagascar, all the while intensifying to become a Category 4 cyclone and making landfall on Mayotte at a whopping 220 km/h, or 136 mph. Thirty-one people have been reported dead as of the writing of this article, with the number being expected to rise into the thousands as efforts to determine the exact count continue. Hundreds more Mahorans have been injured and over 100,000 people were relocated to emergency shelters. Mayotte’s infrastructure is not as well developed as some of the other countries hit by the cyclone, which in combination with the small land area of the island helped spur some of the devastation the island received, with many shanty-towns being completely destroyed by the cyclone. Cyclone Chido was the worst type of weather to hit Mayotte in nearly a century, and Mayotte is currently receiving aid from France in order to restore stability within the territory.

After hitting Mayotte, Cyclone Chido made landfall in Mozambique on December 15 and then travelled over the country, affecting neighboring country Malawi as well. Some 34,000 families lost their homes and 45 people have been reported dead in Mozambique and 45,000 people have been impacted by the cyclone in Malawi. Cyclones are weakened when they are over land too long, so when Cyclone Chido changed directions southward, it dissipated in Zimbabwe. Although Cyclone Chido may no longer be a threat, it left a lasting impact on the millions of Africans displaced, injured, or killed by the cyclone.  Humanitarian efforts are in place in these countries with the hope of eventually restoring the affected areas to normal and ensuring everyone receives the aid they need, although those killed are something the affected can never get back. The tragedies left by the cyclone will leave a lasting mark on many of those who were affected.

Information retrieved from: Environmental Protection Agency, Alijazeera, Center for Disaster Philosophy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration