Thursday's rain was a welcome sight in Central Texas.

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KVUE's Amy Johnston reports

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"It came down and it was wonderful. I actually went out and gardened in the rain. I had some plants that were really not doing well in the heat and I took that it was a good time to get up and transplant them in the pouring rain!" said Michele Holt.

But along with the rain came thunder and lighting. The Austin Fire Department responded to several calls after lightning struck local buildings. One woman was inside her Southeast Austin house when it was hit.

"Half the house has been basically destroyed from the attic fire. But we did save a lot of the contents on half the house," said Captain Marcus Faske, Austin Fire Department.

Firefighters actually saw the lightning strike and were on scene quickly.

"They controlled it very well. That's a blessing within itself, you know, to keep the fire contained," said Jason Smith, neighbor.

Not far away, off Lamar and Manchaca, another couple was counting their blessings. They were not home when lightning struck their apartment building, but their two dogs were inside -- one running free in the apartment, the other in her crate.

"The firemen were wonderful. I guess he, the fireman, picked up the cage and moved it into the other room so she was far away and he could proceed to contain the fire by smashing in the ceiling and the wall," said Robbie Keck.

Both fires caused about $100,000 in structural damage, each.

But by midday, the storms had moved through the city. People were able to sit outside and enjoy lunch for the first time in weeks. Amy Osburn and her family were sitting at a picnic table outside Crestview's Little Deli.

"Sometimes when he puts his hands down on the concrete, it scorches them. It's like a brick oven it's so hot. So I have to keep him off the concrete when it's so hot. But when it's nice and cool like this - he can go anywhere," said Osburn.