Tornadoes could be to blame for much of the roof damage during Fabian, islanders and experts agree.

Taxi driver Lee Tucker said there was a clear path through his Southampton neighbourhood where a twister had spun through while his house, yards away from now roofless homes, had been untouched.

And Robyn Masters of Between the Walls, Pembroke, said her husband could see a clear trail of destruction from the Hamilton Princess, over his house and over to Mount Hill were a tornado had ripped through.

As her husband put a tarpaulin on the shattered roof she said: "I would like to think it was a tornado because I would like to think the house can withstand a hurricane."

Devonshire Bay resident Kevin Petty, who suffered $500,000 dollars of damage, is in no doubt his home was hit by a tornado as well as flood waters which washed his furniture out in his yard.

He said about 40 family photos had been scattered all round the neighbourhood. "There are pictures of my wife's late father at John Barritt Senior's house a mile away.

"People are calling me saying they have pictures of my family all over Devonshire."

Parts of doll's house owned by his twin four-year-old daughters were also found nearly 1,000 yards away.

The Bermuda Weather Service had predicted Fabian would spawn tornadoes of up to 200 mph but they said it was difficult to confirm where they had taken place because they were so quick.

Meteorlogist Ian Currie said: "There definitely were tornadoes but whether you can confirm them or not is a bit difficult, they are short-lived.

"But people are probably justified in saying they had them."

Environmentalist Dr. David Wingate said there was strong evidence of tornadoes but he estimated the notorious Hurricane Emily of 1987 had spawned more.

"They were every 100 yards, in this storm they seem to be about half a mile apart."