More than 5,000 Downers Grove households and businesses remained without electricity Tuesday morning, July 28, making the village one of the hardest-hit communities in the Chicago area after Monday's severe storms knocked out power to more than 530,000 ComEd customers regionwide.

As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, ComEd's outage map showed 5,080 Downers Grove customers still dark. That's roughly 20 hours without service. Across the broader service area, more than 214,000 customers were still waiting for power, according to ComEd.

When power should return

ComEd estimates 80 percent of interrupted customers will have service restored by noon Wednesday, July 29. The utility expects the vast majority of remaining outages to be resolved by 10 p.m. Friday, July 31. ComEd said the timeline is based on the utility's experience with storms of similar size, meaning it is a projection, not a guarantee.

Residents can track restoration progress at ComEd.com/OutageTracker or report outages by calling 1-800-334-7661.

NWS surveying DuPage County for possible tornado damage

The National Weather Service dispatched two survey teams Tuesday, July 28, to assess whether Monday's storms produced tornadoes. One team was assigned to DuPage County, specifically the Downers Grove and Glen Ellyn area, according to ABC 7 Chicago. A second team surveyed southern Cook County near Markham, Harvey, and Hazel Crest.

"We have not confirmed anything just yet," NWS meteorologist Kevin Doom told the Chicago Tribune on Tuesday morning. The agency identified possible tornado paths near the Interstate 294 and Interstate 80 junction and in Orland Park and Orland Hills but had not issued formal confirmations as of Tuesday.

Illinois broke its annual tornado record in June 2026, according to the state climatologist cited by the Chicago Tribune. The state averages 54 tornadoes per year based on 1990–2020 data.

Results from the DuPage County survey had not been released as of Tuesday afternoon. Residents can check NWS Chicago for updates.

Cleanup underway in Downers Grove

The Village of Downers Grove said public works crews were clearing roadways, removing damaged parkway trees, and addressing hanging branches on Tuesday, July 28. Some damaged trees near power lines require ComEd crews to complete the work safely; those locations have been reported to ComEd.

Monday's storms also hampered the search for a contractor swept into a storm sewer in downtown Downers Grove near Curtiss and Washington streets. As we reported on Tuesday, July 28, that search shifted to a recovery operation, meaning officials do not believe the worker survived.

Residents can bundle branches from privately owned trees for curbside collection by Republic at no extra cost. Bundles must be no more than 2 feet in diameter, 4 feet in length, and 50 pounds. A list of licensed tree removal companies is available at downers.us.