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

Yes. Order online at lossmap.io/order or call (214) 493-1515, for property in Birmingham, Hoover, Bessemer, and unincorporated Jefferson 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.

Can a drone fly near Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport after the storm?

Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport is Class C airspace from the surface to 4,600 feet MSL within 5 miles of the airport, with an outer ring that starts at 1,900 or 2,400 feet MSL out to 10 miles, 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 Birmingham?

City of Birmingham: Under the city's 2024 Technical Code, repairing or replacing roof shingles or roof covering on one- and two-family homes and townhouses does not need a building permit, except in Historic or Design Review Districts, where it does. Reroofing still has to meet the code. We did not find storm-specific language. 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 Birmingham?

Unincorporated Jefferson County: The county's October 8 Isaias notice says to call 911 for trees blocking a road or across power lines, and after the storm to report debris the county needs to pick up in the MyJeffCo App under storm debris. It does not give placement or deadline rules. 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 Birmingham?

Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument: The National Park Service prohibits launching, landing, or operating a drone from or on the monument's lands downtown unless the superintendent approves it in writing. This is a federal park rule, separate from the airport airspace that also covers downtown. 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.

Birmingham Drone Damage 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: Jefferson County is not 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 the Birmingham area, follow the National Hurricane Center and Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency.

If Isaias reaches Birmingham

Birmingham 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 Birmingham, Hoover, Bessemer, and unincorporated Jefferson 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 Birmingham 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 Birmingham

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

Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (Class C airspace from the surface to 4,600 feet MSL within 5 miles of the airport, with an outer ring that starts at 1,900 or 2,400 feet MSL out to 10 miles). Controlled airspace from the ground up over parts of central and east Birmingham, including downtown and the neighborhoods around the airport, so a Part 107 pilot needs FAA authorization before a flight there. The FAA facility map ceilings vary by grid square, and close in there is no automatic approval. The outer ring over west Birmingham, Homewood, and north Hoover starts well above where drones fly. The pilot checks each address. faa.gov
Birmingham Class E surface extension (Class E airspace from the surface in a corridor northeast of the airport, toward Center Point and Trussville). FAA guidance for drone pilots treats a surface extension like this one differently from the airport's Class C. The pilot confirms on the FAA map which zone the address is in and gets FAA authorization where it is required. faa.gov
Birmingham Air National Guard Base (national security drone flight restrictions from the surface to 400 feet over two areas on the airport grounds). Drones may not fly over them, and they are fixed no-fly areas, not something an airspace authorization approves. For a property nearby, the pilot plans the flight to stay outside the boundary on the FAA map, and the job review confirms whether and when a flight can happen. FAA data
Protective Stadium, Legion Field, and Barber Motorsports Park (FAA stadium and race flight restrictions within 3 nautical miles of each venue, from one hour before to one hour after a scheduled Division One college football game or listed major auto race). On event days, drones may not fly in those circles around event time. The pilot checks the event schedule and plans the flight around it. faa.gov
Bessemer, Hoover, Hueytown, and west and south Jefferson County (areas where FAA data show no controlled airspace near the ground, no restricted area, and no national security drone restriction at the points checked, including downtown Bessemer, central Hoover, and Riverchase). Bessemer National Airport has no controlled airspace at the surface in FAA data, but it is an active airport, so the pilot keeps clear of its traffic. The pilot still checks the exact address, and after the storm the FAA may put a temporary flight restriction over the area. FAA data

For every address in Birmingham, 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

Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument. The National Park Service prohibits launching, landing, or operating a drone from or on the monument's lands downtown unless the superintendent approves it in writing. This is a federal park rule, separate from the airport airspace that also covers downtown. nps.gov
City of Birmingham. Birmingham has no drone ordinance. An older city aviation section says no aircraft may land or take off anywhere in the city other than a licensed airport or heliport without a permit from the mayor. It does not mention drones, and the city has not said whether it applies to them, so the pilot checks with the city before a flight in Birmingham. In its words: “it shall be unlawful for an aircraft operator to land at or take off from any place in the city other than a licensed airport or heliport without a permit issued by the mayor” library.municode.com
City of Hoover. Hoover has no drone ordinance. An older city aviation section says no one may land an aircraft in the city or its police jurisdiction away from a licensed airport, heliport, or landing place without advance permission from the chief of police. It does not mention drones, and the city has not said whether it applies to them. In its words: “no person shall land any aircraft of any type within the corporate limits or the police jurisdiction of Hoover except upon a regularly established and licensed airport field, heliport or landing place” library.municode.com
City of Bessemer. Bessemer has no drone ordinance. Its park rules make it unlawful to fly model airplanes in a city park except in areas set apart for it. In its words: “games involving throwing or propelling balls, stones, arrows, or model airplanes, except in areas set apart for such form of recreation” library.municode.com

We did not find a local drone takeoff or landing rule on the official pages of unincorporated Jefferson 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 Birmingham. Under the city's 2024 Technical Code, repairing or replacing roof shingles or roof covering on one- and two-family homes and townhouses does not need a building permit, except in Historic or Design Review Districts, where it does. Reroofing still has to meet the code. We did not find storm-specific language. birminghamal.gov
City of Hoover. Hoover requires a building permit before any construction work, for homeowners and contractors alike, and its residential application has a roof replacement or repair box with city and state license numbers. hooveralabama.gov
City of Bessemer. Bessemer's code lists roofing and reroofing among the work that needs a building permit. Contractors need a current Bessemer business license, and a homeowner can get a day labor permit to act as their own general contractor. library.municode.com
Unincorporated Jefferson County. Yes. County Development Services lists reroofing under its miscellaneous building permit, which it says covers repairs from inclement weather, filed through the ePermitJC portal. It applies outside city limits. jccal.org

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 Jefferson County. The county's October 8 Isaias notice says to call 911 for trees blocking a road or across power lines, and after the storm to report debris the county needs to pick up in the MyJeffCo App under storm debris. It does not give placement or deadline rules. jccal.org
City of Birmingham. We did not find a storm debris page or an Isaias notice. Standing service: bulk trash is collected by neighborhood on a monthly calendar and goes out by 6 AM on collection day. Construction and renovation waste may not be left on the right-of-way for city pickup. birminghamal.gov
City of Hoover. We did not find a storm debris page or an Isaias notice. Standing bulk service: request a limb pickup through MyHooverConnect, place materials no more than 3 feet from the curb with nothing overhead, branches no longer than 6 feet. Contractor debris is the contractor's to remove. hooveralabama.gov
City of Bessemer. We did not find a storm debris page or an Isaias notice. The sanitation department collects leaves, yard waste, and limbs, and city ordinance bars contractors from disposing of debris through it. bessemeral.org

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 Birmingham 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 Birmingham

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

Other inland Alabama areas

Drone documentation in Brewton and Atmore · Drone documentation in Andalusia · Drone documentation in Dothan and Enterprise · Drone documentation in Selma · Drone documentation in Montgomery · Drone documentation in Tuscaloosa · 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 Birmingham After Hurricane Isaias