HOUSTON -- Several structures and a school bus were struck by lightning during severe storms that rolled though Houston on Wednesday.

A bolt of lightning hit a flagpole on top of the Richmond Police Department at about 7:10 a.m.

The strike knocked out telephone service at the department. Emergency calls were routed to the Fort Bend County sheriff's office.

Several pieces of the flagpole were scattered throughout the parking lot. A 4-foot section of the pole was found embedded in the ground across the street from the station.

Several homes across Houston were struck by lightning bolts as the storms moved through.

One bolt hit the home in the 800 block of Lamonte Lane near Alba Road at about 4:30 a.m.

The homeowner said he and his wife woke up when it hit, but did not realize what happened. They went back to sleep and woke up to the smell of smoke a short time later.

The home sustained minor damage.

Eight students were on board a school bus that was struck by lightning on Herts Road near Champion Drive at about 8 a.m.

The students were not injured, but the bus driver was taken to a hospital as a precaution.

The bus was not severely damaged.