The force of the tornado was staggering. Some pets were pulled up 300 metres into the vortex of the tornado, while chickens were tossed into nearby paddocks like confetti.

Tin roofing was taken up and deposited in fields at least three kilometres away and some fences were ripped from the fence line and cast way up into power lines. The freak event hit at about 2pm on Thursday.

Scores of cattle were killed sitting under trees as the tornado acted like a giant, picking up trees and flinging them on the ground. The course of destruction ran in a line for almost 30 kilometres in an incredibly small defined path.

Looking on was Karoo Angus Stud owner Annie Scott just a few hundred metres away who amazingly, both for her house and stock, was left largely untouched, except for fallen debris on parts of the property.

Also read: Trough heralds arrival of spring patterns | The Outlook

Her neighbour was one of the victims, who somehow survived the tornado as his house was destroyed. He was taken to Orange Hospital suffering from lacerations, and the latest report was that he was doing fine.

Although he and his partner have lost everything, amazingly he survived as the tornado destroyed his home.

Many say he should buy himself a lottery ticket looking at the way his 25ha block was ripped apart.

Ms Scott says hundreds of trees have been taken out by the twister.

"It came up the middle of our farm and hit my neighbour but here we didn't even lose a leaf from one of our trees. It's just gone in a big narrow strip through the landscape. Some tin roofing and sheeting was picked up and tossed on properties many kilometres away.

"It was a freak event. Luckily we are all safe. I talked to my neighbour's partner and she said he's fine which is a huge relief - just a few lacerations."