Can a drone fly near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after the storm?

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is Class B airspace from the surface to 12,500 feet MSL in the inner area around the airport; the rest of the Class B over the metro area starts at 2,500 feet MSL or higher, as the FAA lists it. For every address, the pilot checks the airspace and gets FAA authorization where it is required. If the FAA does not allow a flight, it does not happen. 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 Atlanta?

City of Atlanta: Atlanta's building code amendments exempt some small repairs and some non-structural re-roofing repairs on existing homes from a permit, with exclusions worded in a way that is hard to apply, and its fee section lists re-roofing as a permit item. The exemptions do not apply to exterior work on landmark or historic properties. We could not read the Office of Buildings' own pages, so confirm with that office before a roof is replaced. 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 Atlanta?

Unincorporated Gwinnett County: We did not find an Isaias debris notice. Standing rules: yard waste is an optional service each household contracts with its county-assigned hauler; trimmings go in Kraft paper bags or a container marked yard waste, and branches must be no more than 4 inches across and 3 feet long, bundled, and under 50 pounds. Large tree debris cannot go to the curb for the hauler. 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.

Are there local drone rules in Atlanta?

City of Atlanta: Atlanta's park rules bar model airplane flying in any public park except at designated places. The section says model airplane flying and does not name drones, so the pilot confirms with the Department of Parks and Recreation before launching from a city park. Pilots check local rules for takeoff and landing sites as well as FAA rules. The job review confirms whether and when a flight can happen.

Atlanta Drone Damage Documentation After Isaias

Storm facts, as of October 9, 2026, 10 PM CDT

At 10 PM CDT on October 9, 2026, National Hurricane Center Advisory 14 placed the center of Isaias over the western Florida Panhandle, about 45 miles east-northeast of Pensacola, moving north near 20 mph with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph, and expected it to move across Alabama and into the Tennessee Valley on Saturday and Sunday. National Hurricane Center, Public Advisory 14.
At 8:30 PM CDT on October 9, 2026, the National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Update.
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 forecast rainfall of 4 to 8 inches across southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend, and southwest Georgia from Friday through the weekend, and 2 to 5 inches across much of the remainder of the Southeast. It said flash, urban, and river flooding was possible across the region, with considerable impacts likely across much of southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle into southwestern Georgia. National Hurricane Center, Public Advisory 13.
It said the tornado risk would continue that evening and night across the Florida Panhandle, southeast Alabama, and southern Georgia, and that the tornado threat would continue Saturday across parts of eastern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, Georgia, and the Carolinas. National Hurricane Center, Public Advisory 13.
Georgia: Governor Kemp issued an updated state of emergency for all 159 Georgia counties on October 8 in preparation for Hurricane Isaias, in Executive Order 10.08.26.01, so Fulton County, DeKalb County, Cobb County, and Gwinnett County are covered. The order lists no counties by name. Office of Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp, October 8, 2026.

For current warnings and orders in the Atlanta area, follow the National Hurricane Center and Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency.

If Isaias reaches Atlanta

Atlanta is inland, and the advisory lines above are what the National Hurricane Center said about rain, flooding, and tornadoes in Georgia and the rest of the Southeast. If wind brings a tree or limbs down on a roof, lifts shingles, or lets rain in anywhere in the City of Atlanta, unincorporated DeKalb County, unincorporated Cobb County, and unincorporated Gwinnett 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 Atlanta 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 Atlanta

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

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Class B airspace from the surface to 12,500 feet MSL in the inner area around the airport; the rest of the Class B over the metro area starts at 2,500 feet MSL or higher). Controlled airspace from the ground up over parts of south and southwest Atlanta around the airport, including Lakewood and Ben Hill at the points FAA data were checked, and a small part of southwest DeKalb County. A Part 107 pilot needs FAA airspace authorization before a flight there. The airport is on the FAA's LAANC list, facility map squares are set from 0 to 400 feet, and 0 feet means further coordination with the FAA. Over downtown, Midtown, and Buckhead the Class B starts well above the 400-foot drone limit, and the pilot checks each address. faa.gov
Fulton County Executive Airport/Charlie Brown Field (Class D airspace from the surface to 3,300 feet MSL within 4 miles of the airport, with Class E surface corridors to the east and west). Controlled airspace from the ground up over parts of west Atlanta, including the Westside and Bankhead area at the points checked, and parts of south Cobb County around Mableton. A Part 107 pilot needs FAA airspace authorization before a flight in the Class D. FAA guidance for drone pilots treats the surface corridors differently from the Class D, so the pilot confirms on the FAA map which zone the address is in and gets FAA authorization where it is required. faa.gov
DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (Class D airspace from the surface to 3,500 feet MSL within 4 miles of the airport, when in effect by NOTAM, with Class E surface corridors to the southwest and northeast). Controlled airspace from the ground up over parts of north DeKalb County, including unincorporated North Druid Hills and Embry Hills at the points checked, the north edge of Buckhead, and a sliver of Gwinnett County. A Part 107 pilot needs FAA airspace authorization before a flight in the Class D, and for the corridors toward Buckhead and Druid Hills the pilot confirms on the FAA map which zone the address is in and gets FAA authorization where it is required. faa.gov
Dobbins Air Reserve Base (Class D airspace from the surface to 3,600 feet MSL within 5.5 miles of the base, with extensions east and west, when in effect by NOTAM, plus a national security drone flight restriction from the surface to 400 feet over the base itself). Controlled airspace from the ground up over parts of central and southeast Cobb County, including unincorporated Vinings, the Cumberland area, and Fair Oaks at the points checked, and a corner of northwest Atlanta. A Part 107 pilot needs FAA airspace authorization before a flight in the Class D. Over the base itself, drones may not fly at all: it is a fixed no-fly area, not something an airspace authorization approves, and a property next to it is planned so the drone stays outside the boundary on the FAA map. FAA data
Cobb County International Airport/McCollum Field (Class D airspace from the surface to 3,500 feet MSL within 4 miles of the airport, when in effect by NOTAM, with Class E surface extensions to the west and east). Controlled airspace from the ground up over parts of north Cobb County between Kennesaw and Acworth. A Part 107 pilot needs FAA airspace authorization before a flight in the Class D, and for the surface extensions the pilot confirms on the FAA map which zone the address is in and gets FAA authorization where it is required. faa.gov
Gwinnett County Airport/Briscoe Field (Class D airspace from the surface to 3,600 feet MSL within 4.6 miles of the airport, with an extension to the southwest, when in effect by NOTAM). Controlled airspace from the ground up over parts of central Gwinnett County around Lawrenceville and toward Dacula at the points checked. A Part 107 pilot needs FAA airspace authorization before a flight there, and the pilot checks each address. faa.gov
U.S. Penitentiary Atlanta (a national security drone flight restriction from the surface to 400 feet over the facility in southeast Atlanta). Drones may not fly over it, and it is a fixed no-fly area, not something an airspace authorization approves. For a property next to it, the pilot plans the flight to stay outside the boundary on the FAA map. FAA data
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Truist Park, Bobby Dodd Stadium, Center Parc Stadium, and Kennesaw State's stadium (FAA stadium flight restrictions within 3 nautical miles of each stadium, from one hour before to one hour after the scheduled time of an NFL, MLB, or Division One college football game). On game days, drones may not fly in those circles around game time, and together they take in downtown, Midtown, and much of central Atlanta, the Cumberland and Vinings area of Cobb County, and the area around Kennesaw State. The pilot checks the game schedule and plans the flight around it. faa.gov
Downtown, Midtown, and central Buckhead; Druid Hills, Scottdale, Belvedere Park, and south DeKalb; west Cobb; and most of Gwinnett outside the Lawrenceville area (areas where FAA data show no controlled airspace near the ground, no restricted area, and no national security drone restriction at the points checked). Several Class D edges and the stadium circles run through these areas, so the pilot checks the exact address and the game schedule, and after the storm the FAA may put a temporary flight restriction over the area. FAA data

For every address in Atlanta, 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 Georgia 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

City of Atlanta. Atlanta's park rules bar model airplane flying in any public park except at designated places. The section says model airplane flying and does not name drones, so the pilot confirms with the Department of Parks and Recreation before launching from a city park. In its words: “No person shall engage in model airplane flying in any public park, except at or upon places designated therefor” library.municode.com
Unincorporated Gwinnett County. Gwinnett's park rules make it unlawful to fly a model aircraft or drone in a county park or recreation facility except in areas the community services director designates. In its words: “It shall be unlawful for any person to start, fly or use any fuel powered engine, jet-type or electric powered model aircraft, drone, boat or rocket or like powered toy or model, except at those areas designated by the director” library.municode.com
Stone Mountain Park. The Stone Mountain Memorial Association's code bars flying model aircraft, drones included, anywhere in Stone Mountain Park without the permission of its chief executive officer. In its words: “No Person shall engage in flying model aircraft, including but not limited to airplanes, helicopters, or drones, in any area of Stone Mountain Park, without the permission of the Chief Executive Officer” stonemountainpark.org
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. The National Park Service bars launching, landing, or operating a drone on park land and water except as approved in writing by the superintendent. In its words: “Launching, landing, or operating an uncrewed aircraft (DRONES) from or on lands and waters administered by the NPS within the boundaries of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is prohibited except as approved in writing by the superintendent.” nps.gov
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Along the river from Buford Dam to Peachtree Creek, including parts of Cobb and Gwinnett counties, the National Park Service bars launching, landing, or operating a drone on park land and water except as approved in writing by the superintendent. In its words: “Launching, landing, or operating an unmanned aircraft, rocket, vessel, vehicle or similar propelled device from or on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service within the boundaries of Chattahoochee River NRA is prohibited except as approved in writing by the superintendent.” nps.gov
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. The National Park Service bars launching, landing, or operating a drone on park land and water in Atlanta except as approved in writing by the superintendent. In its words: “Launching, landing, or operating an uncrewed or remotely piloted aircraft from or on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service within the boundaries of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park is prohibited except as approved in writing by the superintendent.” nps.gov
Georgia state parks. Georgia State Parks rules say drones are prohibited in state parks and historic sites, including Panola Mountain State Park, part of which is in DeKalb County. In its words: “Drone operation is prohibited in Georgia’s State Parks and Historic Sites.” gastateparks.org
State of Georgia. Georgia Code Section 6-1-4, as reprinted in the General Assembly's 2026 bill HB 949, preempts city and county rules on flying drones. A city or county may still enforce an ordinance adopted on or before April 1, 2017, enforce FAA restrictions, and allow or ban launching or landing a drone on its own public property, except for commercial flights. In its words: “Any ordinance, resolution, regulation, or policy of any county, municipality, or other political subdivision of this state regulating the testing or operation of unmanned aircraft systems shall be deemed preempted” legis.ga.gov

We did not find a local drone takeoff or landing rule on the official pages of unincorporated DeKalb County and unincorporated Cobb 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 Atlanta. Atlanta's building code amendments exempt some small repairs and some non-structural re-roofing repairs on existing homes from a permit, with exclusions worded in a way that is hard to apply, and its fee section lists re-roofing as a permit item. The exemptions do not apply to exterior work on landmark or historic properties. We could not read the Office of Buildings' own pages, so confirm with that office before a roof is replaced. library.municode.com
Unincorporated DeKalb County. DeKalb's building code requires a permit before any alteration or repair other than small ordinary repairs, and roofing is not on its list of permit-exempt work. For emergency work, the permit must be obtained within 24 hours after the work starts. We did not find a storm permit notice. library.municode.com
Unincorporated Cobb County. Cobb Community Development says only residential standard tab shingle replacement is exempt from a permit, so other roof work should be treated as needing one; confirm with Community Development. A homeowner can get permits only for the home they live in and must do the work themselves. We did not find a storm permit notice. cobbcounty.gov
Unincorporated Gwinnett County. Gwinnett's construction code requires a permit before repairing a building, and roofing is not on its list of exempt work. For emergency repairs, the permit application is due within the next two working business days. A homeowner can get a permit for their own property with proof of ownership and an owner-as-contractor affidavit. We did not find a storm permit notice. library.municode.com

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.

Unincorporated Gwinnett County. We did not find an Isaias debris notice. Standing rules: yard waste is an optional service each household contracts with its county-assigned hauler; trimmings go in Kraft paper bags or a container marked yard waste, and branches must be no more than 4 inches across and 3 feet long, bundled, and under 50 pounds. Large tree debris cannot go to the curb for the hauler. gwinnettcounty.com
City of Atlanta. We did not find an Isaias debris notice; the city site blocked our requests, so these standing rules come from the city code and the last archived copy of the Solid Waste Services page. Yard trimmings go between the sidewalk and curb in paper yard-trimmings bags or a marked container, never plastic bags, with branches up to 4 feet long and 4 inches thick; larger amounts need a scheduled bulk pickup through ATL311. The city does not collect construction materials or debris left by contractors or tree companies. atlantaga.gov
Unincorporated DeKalb County. We did not find an Isaias debris notice. Standing rules: yard trimmings are collected weekly on garbage day, curbside by 7 a.m., in containers or paper bags; branches are cut to 4 feet or shorter, bundled, and tied. Large tree parts need a special collection, and plastic bags, limbs cut by professional contractors, and construction materials are not accepted. dekalbcountyga.gov
Unincorporated Cobb County. We did not find a storm debris pickup page. The county does not collect trash in unincorporated Cobb; residents hire a private hauler from the county's permitted list, and county code bars mixing yard trimmings with household garbage. cobbcounty.gov

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 the Atlanta area 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 Atlanta

lossmap documents the property. If the home is not livable, our parent company covers temporary housing on your lot in Atlanta, 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 Atlanta. For the statewide picture, see temporary housing in Georgia.

Other Georgia areas

Drone documentation in Columbus · Drone documentation in Albany · Drone documentation in Bainbridge and Thomasville · 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, 10 PM CDT; local facts checked October 9, 2026.

Drone Damage Documentation in Atlanta After Hurricane Isaias