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

Yes. Order online at lossmap.io/order or call (214) 493-1515, for property in Hattiesburg, Petal, unincorporated Forrest County, Purvis, Sumrall, and unincorporated Lamar 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 Hattiesburg affect a drone flight?

Hattiesburg, Petal, Purvis, Sumrall, and most of Forrest and Lamar counties: an area where FAA data show no controlled airspace near the ground, no restricted area, and no national security drone restriction at the points checked, including Hattiesburg Bobby L. Chain 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 Hattiesburg?

City of Hattiesburg: Hattiesburg says repairing or altering a home generally needs a permit, though some routine repairs may not. Contractors need both a city license and a Mississippi State Board of Contractors license. In local historic districts, a same-material reroof needs a Letter of Compliance and a change of roof material needs a Certificate of Appropriateness. 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 Hattiesburg?

City of Hattiesburg: We did not find an Isaias debris notice. Standing rules: large limbs and bulky items that do not fit the brown can go at the curb for weekly pickup, never in the street, and contractors remove roofing and building debris. Earlier guidance: after Hurricane Ida in 2021, the city ran a modified pickup schedule for large debris. 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 Hattiesburg?

Paul B. Johnson State Park: Mississippi's state park rules bar operating aircraft on park land or water without written permission from the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, except in an extreme emergency. The rule says aircraft and does not name drones, so the pilot asks the park before any launch from park land. 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.

Hattiesburg 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 tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 205 miles from the center, forecast rainfall of 2 to 5 inches across much of the remainder of the Southeast beyond southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend, and southwest Georgia, and said flash, urban, and river flooding was possible across the region. National Hurricane Center, Public Advisory 13.
For storm information specific to an area, including possible inland watches and warnings, the advisory pointed to the local National Weather Service forecast office. National Hurricane Center, Public Advisory 13.

For current warnings and orders in the Hattiesburg area, follow the National Hurricane Center and Forrest County Emergency Management, on MEMA's county contacts page.

If Isaias reaches Hattiesburg

Hattiesburg is inland, and the advisory lines above are what the National Hurricane Center said for the storm as a whole; its wind, rain, and tornado lines do not name inland Mississippi. If wind brings a tree or limbs down on a roof, lifts shingles, or lets rain in anywhere in Hattiesburg, Petal, unincorporated Forrest County, Purvis, Sumrall, and unincorporated Lamar 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 Hattiesburg 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 Hattiesburg

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

Hattiesburg, Petal, Purvis, Sumrall, and most of Forrest and Lamar counties (an area where FAA data show no controlled airspace near the ground, no restricted area, and no national security drone restriction at the points checked, including Hattiesburg Bobby L. Chain Municipal Airport). The Class E airspace around Bobby L. Chain starts 700 feet above the surface, but it is an active airport, so the pilot keeps clear of its traffic. The pilot still checks the exact address and the game-day stadium restriction below, and after the storm the FAA may put a temporary flight restriction over the area. FAA data
Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport (a Class E surface area within 4 miles of the airport in Jones County, when in effect by NOTAM). Controlled airspace from the ground up when in effect, reaching only the northern tip of Forrest County near Eatonville, not Hattiesburg or Petal. A flight there needs FAA authorization first, and the pilot checks each address. faa.gov
Camp Shelby and Hagler Army Airfield (a national security drone flight restriction from the surface to 400 feet over the post in southeast Forrest County). 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 the post, 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
Restricted Area R-4401A, Camp Shelby (a restricted area from the surface to 4,000 feet MSL in the far southeast corner of Forrest County along the Perry County line, active by NOTAM). Restricted airspace from the ground up whenever it is active, so drones do not fly there. A property next to the boundary is planned so the drone stays outside it, and the pilot checks each address before a job is quoted. faa.gov
M.M. Roberts Stadium, University of Southern Mississippi (an FAA stadium flight restriction within 3 nautical miles of the stadium, from one hour before to one hour after the scheduled time of a Division One college football game). On home game days, drones may not fly in that circle around game time, and it takes in much of central Hattiesburg. The pilot checks the game schedule and plans the flight around it. faa.gov

For every address in Hattiesburg, 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 Mississippi 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

Paul B. Johnson State Park. Mississippi's state park rules bar operating aircraft on park land or water without written permission from the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, except in an extreme emergency. The rule says aircraft and does not name drones, so the pilot asks the park before any launch from park land. In its words: “Except in an extreme emergency, the operation of aircraft on land or water” mdwfp.com

We did not find a local drone takeoff or landing rule on the official pages of the City of Hattiesburg, the City of Petal, the City of Purvis, the Town of Sumrall, unincorporated Forrest County, and unincorporated Lamar 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 Hattiesburg. Hattiesburg says repairing or altering a home generally needs a permit, though some routine repairs may not. Contractors need both a city license and a Mississippi State Board of Contractors license. In local historic districts, a same-material reroof needs a Letter of Compliance and a change of roof material needs a Certificate of Appropriateness. hattiesburgms.com
City of Petal. Petal's Building Department says no work may start until a permit is issued and displayed, and applicants submit a state contractors license. The page does not name roofs. cityofpetal.com
City of Purvis. Purvis lists any physical alteration of an existing structure as needing a permit, and its application has a roof box and asks for a roll-off or trailer on site for debris. purvis-ms.gov
Unincorporated Forrest County. The county Planning Department says it does not administer building codes, but asks owners to contact the office before any development because of its stormwater, floodplain, and subdivision ordinances. forrestcountyms.us
Unincorporated Lamar County. Outside city limits, Lamar County's Planning Department issues a residential construction permit for work that needs a state contractor's license, which for a remodel depends on the project's size. The county does not do code inspections. lamarcountyms.gov

We did not find a storm roof repair rule on the official pages of the Town of Sumrall. 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 Hattiesburg. We did not find an Isaias debris notice. Standing rules: large limbs and bulky items that do not fit the brown can go at the curb for weekly pickup, never in the street, and contractors remove roofing and building debris. Earlier guidance: after Hurricane Ida in 2021, the city ran a modified pickup schedule for large debris. hattiesburgms.com
City of Purvis. We did not find a storm debris page. The city says it removes brush, leaves, and yard debris, and bulk items need a special pickup call first. purvis-ms.gov
Unincorporated Lamar County. We did not find a storm debris page. County ordinance says repair debris and trees cut by a contractor are removed at that person's expense, and the county runs Saturday drop-offs for residents, not contractors. lamarcountyms.gov

We did not find a storm debris page for the City of Petal, unincorporated Forrest County, and the Town of Sumrall. 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 the Hattiesburg 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 Hattiesburg

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

Other inland Mississippi areas

Drone documentation in Picayune · Drone documentation in Lucedale · 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 Hattiesburg After Hurricane Isaias