Lessons learned from the response of Blue Shield France to Cyclone Chido in Mayotte

Courselaud, Marie, President; Goemaere, Charlotte, First Aider, Conservator of ethnographic artefacts; Lathière, Emmanuel, First Aider, Firefighter in charge of securing collections; Rameau, Anne-Laure, Emergency Response Service Administrator, Blue Shield France, France

ISSN 2975-190X – ISBN 978-88-6864-548-9

Mayotte is a French island and department located off the coast of Madagascar, near Réunion Island. On December 14, 2024, the region was struck by a powerful cyclone with winds reaching up to 220 km/h (137 miles/h), accompanied by heavy rainfall. The immediate consequences were devastating: at least 39 deaths, over 5,600 injuries, 320,000 people left without drinking water, 15,000 homes without electricity, and severe damage to infrastructure, including roads, hospitals, and schools.
In addition to this tragic toll, the cyclone caused significant damage to the region’s cultural heritage. The preliminary assessment carried out by the Cultural Affairs Directorate, just over a week after the disaster, revealed that six major cultural heritage sites had been severely affected, including the Musée de Mayotte that held the status of ‘Musée de France’ since 2018.

This was the context in which Blue Shield France - BSF – an association recognised as being of public interest and accredited for civil protection since 2023 for its role in safeguarding threatened or damaged heritage - was asked to take part in a cultural heritage protection mission.

This paper illustrates this large-scale operation representing an example of collaboration between national authorities, local officials and specialised intervention teams, particularly in the management of cultural assets in areas at risk.

In PROCULTHER-NET 2 Project. Technical Bulletin N. 5, July 2025, pp 54-60

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