Strong Storms rattled the area through out Thursday afternoon and evening.

One of them is believed to be responsible for destroying a Chapel Hill Home.
Fire officials says they believe lightning struck a at 1067 Canterbury Lane shortly after noon on Thursday.

Neighbors say they knew the lighting had hit nearby.

“My wife was home at the time and she says there was a large crack of lighting that was very, very close,” said Michael Brogren.

Brogren said his neighbor told him they discovered flames in their home seconds after the lightning hit it. “He told me they went downstairs and saw the fire in the basement.”

Through out Thursday afternoon, the air was filled with angry clouds marching across the skies, creating varying conditions ranging from torrential rains to slight drizzle

Because of the heavy rains, officials  kept a wary eye on bodies of water like Raleigh’s Crabtree Creek, which are prone to flooding.

The torrential rains  also created slick conditions on highways, resulting in numerous accidents.

One of them occurred  On Creedmoor Road  in Creedmoor when two cars collided head on about 6.30.

The  slick conditions and heavy downpours frustrated drivers.

“You can't see anything in front of you,” said motorist Mike Mooney.  “I mean my wipers were going  back and forth at high speed, and it’s tough to see.”

Speed just wasn't the operative word  on the roads as pizza delivery man Justin Coral found out while he sat in traffic backed up by the Creedmoor accident.

“I'm heading to Falls Drive right now and it's completely blocked off so I had to call my person and tell them it's another 35-to 45 minutes before they get their pizza,” said Coral.

Although the rains may be inconvenient, there's a plus side because it’s knocked out any thoughts of another drought.

After starting the year with a 7-inch rainfall deceit, we're now on our way toward building more than  a 7-inch surplus of rainfall.