France is rushing help by ship and military aircraft to its poor overseas territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean that has been shattered by its worst storm in nearly a century.

Local officials in the French territory Mayotte fear as many as 1,000 people have died after Tropical Cyclone Chido hit the island off the coast of Mozambique on Saturday.

Local authorities said the cyclone, which made landfall with 140 mph, winds devastated several “shantytowns” across the island.