Lighting struck my unit if it has to be replaced how much am I looking at,

I would check all breakers first, and 24 volts for thermostat.

Prices are a local item. Call some of your local contractors for estimates.

Does the unit look normal, or burnt and blown up?

If you unit looks like the one in the picture, don't bother checking the breakers.

HVAC 1000, this pic came from:
Exploding air conditioners - AR15.COM (http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=891004)

Have you ever seen a unit do this?

Well arc fault would not have helped this toy. I have seen units pop during high pressure testing but never like this. It must have been a direct hit since the conductors could have never carried this much power from the main panel. That is a good one thanks for posting TKrussell. Makes me wonder if someone slipped a stick of the good stuff in it and set it off. Dynamite can have similar effects but a lab can check for nitro residue.