Douglasville Restaurant Owner Killed When EF-1 Tornado Hits

Updated at 6:00 p.m.

DOUGLASVILLE, GA — The owner of a popular Douglasville restaurant has been identified as the man killed Monday when a tree fell on his SUV as a tornado swept the area.

WSB-TV in Atlanta is reporting that Scott Hudson, 60, owner of Hudson's Hickory House in Douglasville, died in the storm. Friends and employees confirmed his identity Monday to the Atlanta news station.

Hudson's car was crushed by a falling tree at about 10:36 a.m. Monday on Campbellton Street, between Woodrow Avenue and Spring Street in Douglasville. Firefighters had to extricate him, according to Douglas County spokesperson Rick Martin.

Without mentioning specifically what had happened, Hudson's announced on its social-media pages that it would close at 3 p.m. Monday.

“Please keep the Hudson family in your prayers,” the post said. “Thank you in advance for your understanding.”

The National Weather Service confirmed Monday afternoon that the storm had produced an EF-1 tornado, with winds clocked at 90 mph. The tornado was 250 yards wide — equivalent to two and a half football fields — and 1.5 miles long.

After uprooting and snapping a few trees, the tornado intensified as it crossed Kings Highway, according to a statement late Monday afternoon from Douglas County spokesperson Martin.

The twister continued to snap and uproot trees along Plum Crest Road, Cherry Dale Road, Orchard Road and Apple Valley Road, Martin said, dropping trees on at least 10 homes along the way.

Moving east, the tornado crossed Apple Way Court and Yeager Road, snapping trees there and along Greenwood Drive before lifting as it approached Dorset Shoals Road.

Douglas County 911 dispatchers received numerous reports of damage as the tornado tore through the area:

• Tree reported down at 5945 Liberty Road; tree reported on lines and a house.
• Tree reported down on Yeager Road/Greenwood Drive.
• Tree reported down on Skyview Drive/Mt. Vernon Road.
• Power lines and trees reported down on N. Summers Circle/Kings Highway.
• Tree reported down on 4978 Kings Highway.
• Tree reported down 6043 Orchard Street with a report of one dog deceased.
• Tree and power lines reported down at 8486 Campbell Street.
• Power lines on Orchard Road/Kings Highway.
• Flooding at 3545 Miller Street in Douglasville.

The Douglas County Parks & Recreation Department closed all parks in the county for the rest of the day due to inclement weather, the release said, but employees are still available for phone calls and emails.

Patch editor Jim Massara contributed to this story.

SEE ALSO: Tornado Warning Issued For Fulton, Douglas, DeKalb Counties