‘DuPage was hit hard’: Tornado confirmed in Glen Ellyn, straight-line winds strike Carol Stream, Downers Grove

The National Weather Service confirmed Tuesday that a tornado touched down in Glen Ellyn during storms Monday that left thousands without power for more than a day.

NWS surveyors surveyed damage Tuesday morning in Glen Ellyn and Carol Stream to make that determination, according to Brett Borchardt, a senior meteorologist at the NWS office in Romeoville.

They also confirmed that straight-line winds caused damage in Carol Stream and Downers Grove.

Borchardt said storms that hit DuPage County Monday afternoon started near Carol Stream and moved southeast, affecting Glen Ellyn, Downers Grove, Woodridge, Darien, Burr Ridge and nearby towns.

“DuPage was hit hard by multiple rounds of severe storms,” he said.

Monday’s weather saw a slew of warnings and watches take effect throughout the suburbs. By Monday evening, nearly 320,000 customers were without power, according to ComEd.

Around 170,000 ComEd customers remained without power Tuesday. As of 2:15 p.m., there were still 29,870 customers without power in DuPage County.

Power outages led to closures and cancellations. The College of DuPage canceled classes in some buildings on its Glen Ellyn campus, due to a lack of electricity.

Outages in Glendale Heights included village hall, the Sports Hub, the Linda Jackson Center for Senior Citizens, the Glendale Heights Aquatics Club and the Glendale Lakes Golf Club.

Morton Arboretum in Lisle was closed Tuesday due to lack of power, and for clean up.

Borchardt said spots received up to 3 inches of rain, as well as wind speeds of 60 to 80 mph and hail along the I-355 corridor, he said.

The heaviest rain fell during the first wave, from 1 to about 2 p.m., Borchardt said.

The Northwest suburbs also had storms, but they were not as intense. One to 2 inches of rain fell, and winds reached 65 mph at O’Hare International Airport, Borchardt said.

Lake County Department of Transportation crews and the signal contractor were out Tuesday continuing to clear debris and restore traffic signals, some of which remained flashing or completely dark, a county representative said.

In Carol Stream, village crews were collecting storm debris from the public rights of way Tuesday.

Glen Ellyn workers were picking up branches that fell from parkway trees, and working on details of collection of other branches.

In Lisle and Wheaton, branches will be collected starting at 7 a.m. starting Aug. 3. The municipalities will make one sweep through town, so branches should be piled at the curb by 7 a.m. that Monday. In Downers Grove, bundles of branches are being picked up on normal garbage-collection days, at no extra charge.

A tornado also touched down in Lansing.

Chicago Tribune’s Allison Kiehl contributed to this report.