Storm over the market

Text 1: Bridge Street, by Hugo Pentreath

An original short story extract.

The storm reached Bridge Street market just after eleven. One moment the stalls were busy with shoppers in sunglasses; the next, the sky went the colour of a bruise and the rain came down in ropes. Mr Ferreira grabbed the poles of his awning as the wind tried to tear it from the frame. Oranges escaped from the front of his stall and rolled into the gutter, and he could not let go to chase them. Across the aisle, the woman who sold scarves was throwing plastic sheets over her rails, but they kept lifting and slapping her in the face. The canvas above the cheese stall filled with water until it sagged like a hammock, then burst, soaking the man underneath. Within five minutes the street had emptied of customers, and the only people left were the traders, drenched, swearing quietly, holding on.

Give three words or phrases that show the stallholders struggling against the storm.