The National Weather Service confirmed Wednesday, July 29, that an EF-0 tornado touched down in Wheaton during Monday's severe storms, making it the fifth tornado from the July 27 event across the Chicago area.

Peak winds hit approximately 75 mph. The tornado touched down just south of Wheaton College, according to WGN-TV, with straight-line thunderstorm winds surrounding the tornado's path.

The confirmation came as the People's Resource Center food pantry revealed the storm's toll on its Wheaton facility: three tons of refrigerated food, gone.

A 14-hour power outage forced staff to discard the contents of two coolers, three standing coolers, a walk-in cooler, and a walk-in freezer, CBS Chicago reported. The pantry serves roughly 600 households each week.

CEO Jeni Fabian told CBS Chicago on July 29 that the loss was devastating because staff know how much their neighbors depend on those groceries. The center had to replace everything.

Food Pantry Supervisor Megan Ernsteen led the cleanup alongside about 20 volunteers. "It was a mess 'cause we also have our shipments coming in of our weekly milk order, so it was a lot of coordinating volunteers," Ernsteen told CBS Chicago.

The community responded quickly. After the center posted an urgent appeal on social media, neighbors showed up with cash donations and fresh groceries including produce, protein, and dairy. Wheaton resident Joe Matuch, who donated with his son Sam, told CBS Chicago the pantry's work for refugees and others in need motivated them to help.

The city has announced a one-time storm debris pickup, with branches due curbside by August 3. The tornado confirmation adds official context to the damage residents have been clearing since Monday.

The Wheaton tornado was one of five confirmed from Monday's storms. The other four, confirmed Tuesday, July 28, included an EF-0 in Glen Ellyn with peak winds around 80 mph and an EF-1 in Lansing with winds up to 110 mph. The 2026 tornado count in the Chicago NWS forecast area has reached 59, according to Fox 32, nearly four times the 30-year average of 16.

As of Wednesday night, more than 39,000 ComEd customers across the region remained without power, though the utility said it had restored service to more than 90% of affected customers.

No statement from the City of Wheaton or the mayor's office regarding the tornado confirmation was available as of Thursday, July 30.

Volunteers were working Wednesday to reopen the People's Resource Center's Wheaton pantry location. The organization is accepting continued donations online.