Can I order drone documentation for a property in Andalusia after Hurricane Isaias?

Yes. Order online at lossmap.io/order or call (214) 493-1515, for property in Andalusia, Opp, Florala, and unincorporated Covington County. Every job is reviewed and quoted, and that review confirms whether and when a pilot can fly the property. Nothing is charged when you order.

Does airspace near Andalusia affect a drone flight?

Andalusia, Opp, Florala, and the rest of Covington County: an area where FAA data show no controlled airspace near the ground, no restricted area, and no national security drone restriction in the county, including at South Alabama Regional Airport in Andalusia and Florala Municipal Airport. Even so, the pilot checks the exact address before any flight and gets FAA authorization where it is required, and after the storm the FAA may put a temporary flight restriction over the area, which needs permission. The job review confirms whether and when a flight can happen at your address.

Do I need a permit to repair or replace a roof in Andalusia?

City of Andalusia: Not roof-specific: Andalusia requires a permit for various construction work in the city limits, and its permit list does not single out roofing, so call Planning and Development before reroofing. The online application asks for city, state, and home builder license numbers. If it is safe, have the roof documented before the tarp goes on, then document the tarp once it is on.

How does storm debris pickup work in Andalusia?

City of Andalusia: Standing rules, not a storm notice: one free pickup a week of up to one truckload, which does not include construction debris or building materials. City code says roofing and other repair debris on private property is removed by the owner. The city's Isaias notice said only that garbage routes would run on schedule Friday. Check the official page for current details. Before anything goes to the curb, a drone flight can record where trees and debris came to rest.

Andalusia, AL Drone Documentation After Isaias

Storm facts, as of October 9, 2026, 4:55 PM CDT

The National Hurricane Center's 4 PM CDT advisory on October 9 placed Isaias about 90 miles south of Pensacola with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph, moving north at 17 mph, and forecast landfall on the western Florida Panhandle coast that evening, then a track across Alabama into the Tennessee Valley. National Hurricane Center, Public Advisory 13.
That advisory carried a hurricane warning from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay and Gulf county line in Florida, and tropical storm warnings to the west into Louisiana and to the east to the Aucilla River. National Hurricane Center, Public Advisory 13.
The same 4 PM CDT advisory said the center was expected to move across Alabama and into the Tennessee Valley Saturday and Sunday, and that hurricane-force winds were expected to spread inland as far as 100 miles from the coast into southern Alabama. National Hurricane Center, Public Advisory 13.
It forecast rainfall of 4 to 8 inches across southern Alabama from Friday through the weekend, said flash, urban, and river flooding was possible across the region, and said the tornado threat would continue Saturday across parts of eastern Alabama. National Hurricane Center, Public Advisory 13.
Forecast Advisory 13, issued at 2100 UTC on October 9, listed the next forecast points as inland, with maximum sustained winds of 75 knots at 0600 UTC on October 10, then post-tropical and inland by 1800 UTC that day. National Hurricane Center, Forecast Advisory 13.
Alabama: Governor Ivey declared a state of emergency for 40 counties on October 7, with a mandatory evacuation of non-residents and visitors in Baldwin County south of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and on Dauphin Island. Office of Alabama Governor Kay Ivey.
Alabama: Covington County is among the 40 counties named in Governor Ivey's October 7 state of emergency proclamation. State of Alabama, Proclamation by the Governor, October 7, 2026.

For current warnings and orders in Covington County, follow the National Hurricane Center and Covington County Emergency Management Agency.

If Isaias reaches Andalusia

Andalusia is inland, and the advisory lines above are what the National Hurricane Center said about Alabama as a whole. If wind brings a tree or limbs down on a roof, lifts shingles, or lets rain in anywhere in Andalusia, Opp, Florala, and unincorporated Covington County, the record that helps most is the one made before the tree is cut off the roof and the tarp goes on. A drone flight records the roof from overhead without anyone climbing it, and it records where trees and limbs came to rest before they are hauled to the curb.

Safety first

Do not go back, fly a drone, or climb a roof in Andalusia until local officials say it is safe. Stay off the roof: a drone flight is how the roof gets documented without anyone on it. Do what keeps people safe and prevents more damage, even if that means the tarp goes on before anyone flies.

Airspace around Andalusia

The FAA decides who may fly where. Here is what FAA airspace data and orders show in and around Covington County, checked October 9, 2026:

Andalusia, Opp, Florala, and the rest of Covington County (an area where FAA data show no controlled airspace near the ground, no restricted area, and no national security drone restriction in the county, including at South Alabama Regional Airport in Andalusia and Florala Municipal Airport). The Class E airspace here starts 700 feet or more above the ground, and FAA data show no facility map grid in the county. The pilot still checks the exact address and keeps clear of airport traffic, and after the storm the FAA may put a temporary flight restriction over the area. FAA data
Alert Area A-211 (Dothan) (an alert area from the surface to 5,000 feet over Andalusia, Opp, and Florala, used by the U.S. Army at Fort Rucker on weekdays). The FAA defines an alert area as airspace that may hold a high volume of pilot training. It is not a no-fly area, but here it means Army helicopter training, and helicopters can fly very low, so the pilot keeps a close watch. faa.gov
Eglin D Military Operations Area (a military operations area over the Florala area from 1,000 feet above the ground to 3,000 feet MSL). It starts above the 400-foot drone limit and does not by itself bar drones. It means military aircraft may fly above the Florala area. FAA data

For every address in Andalusia, the pilot checks the airspace and gets FAA authorization where it is required. The job review confirms whether and when a flight can happen. See the FAA rules for drone roof inspections.

FAA flight restrictions after the storm

The FAA issues temporary flight restrictions for natural disasters such as hurricanes. They are published as NOTAMs and keep aircraft, including drones, from flying in an area without permission for a limited time. Active restrictions over Alabama are on the FAA’s TFR list. To fly in one, a pilot coordinates with the controlling agency named in it, and approval is the FAA’s decision. A restricted area can add time to a shoot, and some flights wait until a restriction lifts.

Local drone rules

We did not find a local drone takeoff or landing rule on the official pages of the City of Andalusia, the City of Opp, the City of Florala, and unincorporated Covington County. Check with the city or county before launching from a park or beach. Pilots check local rules for takeoff and landing sites as well as FAA rules.

Roof permits and tarping

If it is safe, document the roof before the tarp goes on, then document the tarp once it is on. Before repairs, check what the building department requires.

City of Andalusia. Not roof-specific: Andalusia requires a permit for various construction work in the city limits, and its permit list does not single out roofing, so call Planning and Development before reroofing. The online application asks for city, state, and home builder license numbers. cityofandalusia.com

We did not find a storm roof repair rule on the official pages of the City of Opp, the City of Florala, and unincorporated Covington County. Check with the city or county building department before repairs.

Storm debris pickup

Once debris goes to the curb or is hauled off, the record of where it landed is gone. If it is safe to leave it, fly first, then move it.

City of Andalusia. Standing rules, not a storm notice: one free pickup a week of up to one truckload, which does not include construction debris or building materials. City code says roofing and other repair debris on private property is removed by the owner. The city's Isaias notice said only that garbage routes would run on schedule Friday. cityofandalusia.com
City of Opp. Standing rules, not a storm notice: curbside pickup runs on a rolling route, with yard waste (limbs cut to 8 feet or less) and junk in two separate piles behind the curb, and mixed piles wait until they are separated. Debris left by contractors or tree services is not picked up. cityofopp.com

We did not find a storm debris page for the City of Florala and unincorporated Covington County. Check with the city or county for pickup rules.

What gets documented

The roof. Missing and creased shingles and lifted membrane, from straight overhead.
The exterior and site. Every side of the structure, plus fences, outbuildings, and detached structures.
Wind versus water. Water lines, high-water marks, flood extent, and where debris came to rest.
Trees and impact. A tree on a structure before removal, and downed trees across the yard, fences, and vehicles.
Emergency work. Tarps and board-up, documented once they are on.

The gallery comes as a permalink you can send to your adjuster and to every contractor you ask for a bid. Adjusters with many addresses in Covington County can order CAT or volume dispatch.

Order a shoot →

How ordering works

Tell us what happened, the address, and a preferred date, online or at (214) 493-1515.
We review the job and send a quote. That review confirms whether and when a pilot can fly the property. Nothing is charged when you order.
An FAA Part 107 pilot flies the shot list when it is safe and allowed. Flights need safe weather, generally winds under 20 mph and no precipitation.
You get the gallery by link. The delivery timeline comes with the quote.

Housing and trailers in Andalusia

lossmap documents the property. If the home is not livable, our parent company covers temporary housing on your lot in Andalusia, including the local rules for an RV on residential property. Crews and families who need a travel trailer can see trailers for crews and families in Andalusia. For the statewide picture, see temporary housing in Alabama.

Other inland Alabama areas

Drone documentation in Brewton and Atmore · Drone documentation in Dothan and Enterprise · Drone documentation in Selma · Drone documentation in Montgomery · Drone documentation in Tuscaloosa · Drone documentation in Birmingham · All Hurricane Isaias areas

What lossmap is not

lossmap provides aerial imagery and visual documentation. It is not a licensed roof inspection, an engineering report, or an insurance determination. Whether a carrier accepts the imagery is the carrier’s decision: see do insurers accept drone roof photos.

Sources

Official pages. Storm facts checked October 9, 2026, 4:55 PM CDT; local facts checked October 9, 2026.

Drone Damage Documentation in Andalusia After Hurricane Isaias