Ann Arbor's Northside Elementary School will be closed Thursday after lightning struck the building during Wednesday afternoon's storms.

District spokesperson Liz Margolis said the building was empty when the strike happened, occurring just after a class performance had ended and the building was cleared. She said the school will reopen on Friday after the chimney on the roof of the building that was struck is demolished.

The lightning strike sliced the 20-foot chimney that stands out of the building's roof and sliced it in half, Margolis said.

There was no fire or other damage to the building, but Margolis said the demolition of the remainder of the chimney prompted the closing of the school, located on Barton Drive.

The remains of the chimney struck by lightning at Northside Elementary School during Wednesday's storms.

Courtesy of Ken Clark

The damage comes as storms pounded Washtenaw County and much of Michigan on Wednesday, leading officials to issue flood warnings that last until 11:30 p.m. Thursday. Officials estimate 1-3 inches of rain fell in most of the county, with up to 4 inches reported along the northern border of Livingston County.

More rain is forecast overnight Wednesday as storms in Indiana and Illinois move toward Michigan in the early morning hours of Thursday.

That rain will act to exacerbate the flooding that is already occurring... and most likely bring flooding to other locations," according to the National Weather Service.

Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.