Storm after storm after storm. Wednesday afternoon, the sky over East Idaho opened up — and it hasn't let up since.

Starting Wednesday afternoon, the National Weather Service in Pocatello began issuing a series of severe thunderstorm warnings and strong thunderstorm alerts across East Idaho as one storm after another rolled through the region with damaging winds, hail and the threat of dangerous lightning. Forecasters say the stormy weather is expected to continue through Wednesday night.

The latest thunderstorm — and one of the most severe — hit just before 6 p.m. Wednesday, when the weather service issued a new severe thunderstorm warning for northwestern Bannock County, northern Power County and southwestern Bingham County, in effect until 6:45 p.m.

Radar detected the storm near American Falls Reservoir at 5:57 p.m., moving northeast at 45 mph, packing gusts up to 60 mph and penny-size hail — strong enough, forecasters warned, to damage roofs, siding and trees.

Areas in the storm's path include Blackfoot, American Falls Reservoir, Chubbuck, Aberdeen, Firth, Fort Hall Buffalo Lodge, Rose, Fort Hall Eagle Lodge, Taber, Fort Hall Townsite, Springfield, Rockford, Moreland, Pingree, Pocatello Regional Airport, Groveland, Basalt, Sterling and Wapello.

It's the second severe thunderstorm warning in a less than one-hour span for the Bingham-Bannock-Power County area. An earlier warning, issued until 6:15 p.m., came after radar detected a severe thunderstorm near Neeley at 5:28 p.m., moving northeast at 40 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph and nickel-size hail. That storm's path included American Falls, Neeley, American Falls Reservoir, Aberdeen, Rockland, Fort Hall Buffalo Lodge, Pocatello Regional Airport, Sterling and Massacre Rocks.

The weather service urged residents in the storms' paths to move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building for protection. Anyone on or near American Falls Reservoir is advised to get away from the water and move indoors or into a vehicle immediately, given the risk of lightning striking up to 15 miles from a storm's center.

"If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning," the weather service said. "Move to safe shelter now. Do not be caught on the water in a thunderstorm."

Beyond the severe thunderstorm warnings, the region has also been peppered with strong thunderstorm alerts throughout Wednesday afternoon and evening, with wind gusts generally in the 45 to 55 mph range and, in some areas, hail.

One such storm is moving through northwestern Caribou and southeastern Bingham counties, with wind gusts over 45 mph, affecting the area around northern Blackfoot Reservoir, Cutthroat Trout Campground and Trail Creek Campground. Forecasters said gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects, with a risk of minor hail damage.

A cluster of additional strong thunderstorms is moving through the Lake Walcott and Minidoka area, with gusts of 50 to 55 mph, affecting locations including the Cold Water and Yale rest areas, Pilar Butte, Massacre Rocks and the Interstate 84 and 86 junction.

Shortly after 6 p.m., another strong thunderstorm moved through north central Caribou, southeastern Bonneville and east central Bingham counties, tracked near Blackfoot Reservoir with gusts over 45 mph and nickel-size hail. The weather service specifically warned anyone on or near Blackfoot Reservoir to get out of the water immediately, citing rough chop from the wind and the risk of lightning striking up to 10 miles away.

A line of strong thunderstorms is also sweeping through southwestern Caribou, eastern Oneida, eastern Bannock and northwestern Franklin counties, stretching from near Inkom to near Pleasantview with gusts over 45 mph and pea-size hail. Those storms are expected to touch Malad, McCammon, Lava Hot Springs, Swan Lake, Chesterfield Reservoir, Inkom, Downey, Arimo, Pleasantview, Virginia, Chesterfield, Clifton, Oxford, Hawkins Reservoir, Samaria, Bancroft and Malad Pass on Wednesday evening.

Also on Wednesday evening, a cluster of strong thunderstorms is moving through north central Bannock, east central Power and central Bingham counties with gusts over 45 mph and pea-size hail, affecting Pocatello, Goshen, Chubbuck, Portneuf Gap, Fort Hall Mount Putnam, Fort Hall Lincoln Creek Lodge and Fort Hall Putnam Lodge.

The weather service advised anyone outdoors during any of the storms to seek shelter inside a building and reminded residents near bodies of water that strong winds can create dangerous rough water conditions.