1997 Storm Chasing & Photography Accounts, Photos and Videos

By DAN ROBINSON

Editor/Photographer

From Dan: How the crime of copyright infringement took $1 million from me and shut down my operation.

In September of 2025, my work is generating the most income it ever has in my career. Yet, I'm being forced to shut down my successul operation, against my will, due to one cause alone: 95% of that revenue is being stolen by piracy and copyright infringement. I've lost more than $1 million to copyright infringement in the last 15 years, and it's finally brought an end to my professional storm chasing operation. Do not be misled by the lies of infringers, anti-copyright activists and organized piracy cartels. This page is a detailed, evidenced account of my battle I had to undertake to just barely stay in business, and eventually could not overcome. It's a problem faced by all of my colleagues and most other creators in the field.

1997 brought my move to Charleston from Montgomery, West Virginia. At the time, I did not yet have a car of my own. As with previous years, my lightning photography was done entirely within the Charleston area.

View logs by year:

1997 Notable Storms

July 23, 1997
Close lightning strike in Charleston, WV.

June 29, 1997
Vivid lightning over Southridge Centre, WV.

All 1997 Storm Logs (3)

June 1997:

6/29: Lightning chase WV

July 1997:
7/23: Close lightning WV

August 1997:
8/18: Thunderstorms WV

Catch of the Year:

July 23 - Charleston, WV: A bolt of lightning 1000 feet away hits a power pole along Virginia Street in downtown Charleston. [ Read more about this event ]

1997 Mileage: 220

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