A shortage of roof slate has hit the Island in the wake of a double whammy from Tropical Storm Fay and Hurricane Gonzalo.

But building supply firms said fresh deliveries of slate for damaged roofs is expected to arrive on the Island before the end of the week.

Reuben Waldron, assistant manager at SAL Trading in Devonshire, said: “A lot of people are looking for roofing tile, but were wiped out even before the hurricane. More should be here in the next couple of days.”

Mr Waldron added: “We have been extremely busy — people are buying a lot of replacement windows and doors, things of that nature.

“We’re also selling a lot of plywood and people are looking for things to patch up their roofs.”

Bermuda Brickyard said they had no roofing material, although managing director Paul Schindel said the firm normally gets it in only for specific jobs.

He added: “We sell mostly stone tile and we do keep some, but we don’t have any in stock just now.”

Mr Schindel said: “We’ve been selling a lot of wood flooring and a lot of driveway paving material.

“But the biggest single thing we’re selling is the hurricane protection screen Armor Screen.”

Mr Schindel said the lightweight see-through fabric screen offered protection from wind, rain and flying debris and had been tested at wind speeds of up to 276mph.

Atlantic Building Supplies president Werner Stegmann said the firm had been selling a lot of replacement ceiling tiles and dry wall as homeowners begin the task of repairing storm damage.

Mr Stegmann added: “We have been very busy and we’ve also been fixing up the schools.

“Luckily, it didn’t rain, but a lot of the roofs are open so we’re working to get everything covered up properly.”

Andrew Mackay, general manager at hardware store Gorham’s said he was aware of a shortage of roof slate.

He added: “We’ve had a lot of people calling us looking for slate, but unfortunately we don’t have a supplier for that.”

But Mr Mackay said the store had been packed in advance of the storm — and busy since it reopened on Monday morning.

He added: “We got emergency supplies in on Sunday. We’re selling generators and clean-up materials like rakes.”

Mr Mackay said bleach and other cleaning supplies were also flying off the shelves, along with trash bags and tarpaulins.

He added: “For building materials companies and ourselves business has been very brisk.

“The storms have definitely been a boost for sales, but the Island fared very well, considering.”

Retail activity has quietened some ten days after the busy tropical weather period which led to skyrocketing demand for consumer items associated with hurricane preparedness.

From battery operated radios to tuna fish, retailers reported shoppers flocking into their stores seeking these products.

Giorgio Zanol, president of the Lindo’s Group called last Thursday, October 16 “the busiest day we have ever had” with a massive surge in demand for water and batteries. “We had enough supply for that demand,” he said.

Mr Zanol, whose supermarket group runs Lindo’s Market and Pharmacy in Devonshire, and Lindo’s Family Foods in Warwick said: “We didn’t run out of anything. Tuna fish, corned beef — we sold a lot of non-perishable items,” he said. “And people were buying ice even though they didn’t know whether or not they would lose electricity.”

He said while TS Fay had caught everyone by surprise, the Lindo’s Group were able to prepare for Hurricane Gonzalo and had enough stock on the shelves.

Mr Zanol said their shops opened on Saturday morning after the storm and offered hot breakfast. “People who had lost their power were grateful for that,” he said. While there was little demand for perishable items: “People came in for milk for their children, that sort of thing — we tried to take care of people,” he said. “Monday was busier than usual and so was Tuesday, but not crazy,” he said.

He said the interior of the Devonshire store was unscathed although the building had sustained minor roof damage. “But nothing serious. We’re grateful — it could have been a lot worse. We’re not complaining.”

Both stores lost power during the storm, but both also have massive generators which kick in within ten seconds of a power loss. “The same power that Belco gives us, we get from the generator. We had no problems with refrigeration, the freezers, or anything.”

At People’s Pharmacy, retail coordinator Rochelle Todd also reported a full shop on Thursday. “It was busy on Thursday night — crazy,” she said.

Batteries were “selling off the hook”, while flashlights were another big seller, and the store was able to meet that demand. “We had a lot of flashlights in stock, and we have some left over,” she said.

Ms Todd noted that several customers asked for battery-operated radios. “There was a big demand,” she said — though radios were one item not in stock at the store.

“Radios, batteries were mostly (the items) in demand. And candles as well — we still have a few left,” she said.

Even though the pharmacy suffered some water damage during Hurricane Gonzalo, it opened in the aftermath. “We were open on Saturday afternoon between 3pm and 7.30pm in case anyone needed their medication,” she said.

Wholesale operations also experienced a significant increase in business. Bermuda General Agency’s chief executive officer John Tomlimson said: “There was a heavy demand from retailers that we were able to meet. We had stocked up ahead of time,” he said.

“You get ridiculous peaks of sales that come on these occasions — they are an aberration rather than a trend. Flash lights, batteries, Clorox — these are the main products that retailers want.”

He said more supplies are arriving this week.