( CNN ) -- Severe storms including tornadoes struck Illinois late Thursday afternoon , knocking out power , damaging buildings and spawning floods , the National Weather Service reported . On Thursday night , storms and high winds swept across Tennessee on Thursday night , pelting Nashville with rain and hail and putting thousands in the dark . Large sections of the Midwest and South were under tornado watches Thursday evening as powerful and fast-moving storms pushed through the region , with flooding and building damage in Illinois . The Weather Service had preliminary reports of as many as eight tornadoes in central Illinois late Thursday afternoon . In the town of Mechanicsburg , seven outbuildings were reported destroyed and one house had minor damage . WICS TV , a CNN affiliate in nearby Springfield , reported that one camper was knocked over and the woman in it slightly injured . About 24,000 people in Illinois lost power at one point Thursday afternoon and night , reported utility Ameren Illinois . Effingham and Champaign counties in Illinois reported flooding but no injuries or water rescues . `` We have some power lines down and a little water in the road in some places , '' said Pam Jacobs , the director of the Effingham County Emergency Management Agency . She said they had no reports of injuries or stranded vehicles . John Dwyer , the emergency management coordinator for Champaign County , reported some road flooding and standing water in farm fields . A portion of State Route 150 between Mohamet and the county line was shut down . He said the flooding was caused by the 3 inches of rain Thursday coupled with the snow melt . The National Weather service said radar indicated rainfall of 3 to 4 inches per hour . A flash-flood warning was issued until 11:30 p.m. CT Thursday for the area . The Illinois State Police reported that fog caused a serious wreck on Interstate 57 in northeast Illinois , involving at least 27 tractor trailers and passenger cars . Authorities said they received reports of multiple injuries , but nothing life-threatening . In Tennessee , Memphis Light , Gas and Water Division reported that 4,450 customers lost power at the peak of outages in Shelby County , Tennessee , which includes the city of Memphis . As the storm moved east across Tennessee , winds knocked down dozens of trees in Nashville , reported CNN affiliate WSMV . The station said trained weather spotters reported 1-inch hail and 95 mph winds . Tornado and severe thunderstorm watches were in effect for a large area of the south-central United States , including much of Kentucky and Indiana , as well as Illinois , Tennessee , Louisiana , Mississippi and Alabama . No reports of injuries or deaths were available Thursday evening .
Illinois : Power knocked out to about 24,000 customers in Illinois . NEW : Rain and hail fell on Nashville , downing trees . National Weather Service reported twisters in Mississippi . Major flooding occurred in Lake and Champaign counties , Illinois .