Firefighters said lightning is likely to blame for a fire at the Copperline Square condominiums in the Southern Village community.
Officials said half of the building's 33-units suffered major damage. It took fire crews about an hour to put out the blaze.
"I knew the storm had happened and it was really strange, because half an hour had passed after the storm had cleared up. Then there was this frantic knock on the door and I knew something was wrong," resident Brendan Howes said.
A dog that was missing after the fire was found on a balcony by firefighters and was reunited with its owner.
Firefighters are still looking for a cat that was in one of the heavily damaged units.
Some residents displaced by the fire are getting assistance from the Red Cross.
Two other fires -- both in homes -- were put out quickly. Chapel Hill Fire Chief Dan Jones said one fire was confined to an attic and the other to a crawl space.
The storm also knocked down power lines near Mason Farm Road.
No injures were reported.
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