Farley Machiskinic points to the duplex of his brother and sister, which was ripped apart by a tornado in Raymore, Sask. A state of emergency has been declared on the Kawacatoose reserve. Farley Machiskinic points to the duplex of his brother and sister, which was ripped apart by a tornado in Raymore, Sask. A state of emergency has been declared on the Kawacatoose reserve. (Jennifer Graham/Canadian Press)People on a small Saskatchewan reserve say the devastation left by a tornado was like something out of a movie.

"I never thought it would ever happen to us," said Beverly Machiskinic of the Kawacatoose First Nation, 200 kilometres southeast of Saskatoon.

Seventy people are homeless after the twister destroyed 15 homes in less than a minute when it touched down Friday night, band officials said.

'We were just praying, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus — have mercy." And then it was over.'— Candace Rosling

The tornado was initially rated as an F2 on the Fujita tornado damage scale, which has a maximum rating of F5.

But on Sunday, Environment Canada officials said a further assessment of the damage showed the tornado was more likely an F3, with wind speeds estimated at about 300 km/h.

"My brother-in-law's house is totally — no roof," Machiskinic said. "The farm is all demolished there."

The tornado also damaged five other rural properties in the area, in some cases shredding entire farms.

Candace Rosling's home was destroyed. She said she and her family hid in the basement as the tornado raged above.Fifteen homes were destroyed when a tornado struck the Kawacatoose First Nation late Friday. Fifteen homes were destroyed when a tornado struck the Kawacatoose First Nation late Friday. (Courtesy of Errin Poorman)

"Just to think we were all going to die together," Rosling said. "All we did was hold each other close and just told each other we loved each other.

"We were just praying, 'Jesus, Jesus, Jesus — have mercy.' And then it was over."

How to help

The Canadian Red Cross is accepting donations from people wanting to assist those affected by extreme weather in Western Canada. The agency said funds would support Red Cross efforts, such as cleanup kits, groceries and other items for immediate needs, as well as longer-term assistance, such as helping the hardest hit families with recovery planning as they work to rebuild their lives.