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

Yes. Order online at lossmap.io/order or call (214) 493-1515, for property in City of Mobile, Prichard, Saraland, Theodore, Dauphin Island, and unincorporated Mobile 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 Mobile Regional Airport after the storm?

Mobile Regional Airport is Class C airspace from the surface to 4,200 feet MSL within 5 miles of the airport, with an outer ring from 1,500 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 Mobile?

City of Mobile: Build Mobile has its own Re-Roofing Permit Application, which requires a contract or signed estimate. Residential re-roofs must meet the city's Coastal Construction Code supplement, and photos are required at every stage of the roof work. 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 Mobile?

Unincorporated Mobile County, including Theodore: Earlier guidance: the county's hurricane debris page dates from Hurricane Sally in 2020 and had no Isaias instructions when we checked. It said to put vegetative and construction debris in separate piles at the curb or right-of-way, not in ditches and not blocking roads, storm drains, hydrants, or utility meters. 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.

Mobile, AL 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.
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.

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

Safety first

Do not go back, fly a drone, or climb a roof in Mobile 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 Mobile

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

Mobile Regional Airport (Class C airspace from the surface to 4,200 feet MSL within 5 miles of the airport, with an outer ring from 1,500 feet MSL out to 10 miles). Controlled airspace from the ground up over parts of west Mobile, so a Part 107 pilot needs FAA authorization before a flight. Close to the runways the FAA facility map shows no automatic approval. The outer ring starts above where drones fly. faa.gov
Mobile International Airport (Brookley) (Class D airspace from the surface to 2,500 feet MSL within 4.3 miles of the airport, when in effect, listed by the FAA as Mobile Downtown Airport). Controlled airspace from the ground up over parts of downtown, midtown, and south Mobile around Brookley, so a flight there needs FAA authorization first, and the pilot checks each address. faa.gov
USCG Aviation Training Center Mobile and USCG Station Dauphin Island (national security drone flight restrictions from the surface to 400 feet over each facility). Drones may not fly over the Coast Guard facilities on the Mobile Regional Airport grounds or at the east end of Dauphin Island. For a property nearby, the pilot checks the boundary on the FAA map, and the job review confirms whether and when a flight can happen. FAA data
U.S. Navy vessels on the water (an FAA restriction on drone flight within 3,000 feet laterally and 1,000 feet above any U.S. Navy vessel, up to 2,000 feet MSL over navigable waters). For a waterfront property, the pilot checks for Navy vessels before a flight and keeps the required distance. faa.gov

For every address in Mobile, 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 Mobile, the City of Prichard, the City of Saraland, the Town of Dauphin Island, and unincorporated Mobile 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 Mobile. Build Mobile has its own Re-Roofing Permit Application, which requires a contract or signed estimate. Residential re-roofs must meet the city's Coastal Construction Code supplement, and photos are required at every stage of the roof work. buildmobile.org
Unincorporated Mobile County, including Theodore. Mobile County Inspection Services issues roof permits on a Roof Permit Request form, with a contract or signed estimate required. Re-roofs must strip to the deck and seal it, and the contractor schedules an in-progress inspection before starting. mobilecountyal.gov

We did not find a storm roof repair rule on the official pages of the City of Prichard, the City of Saraland, and the Town of Dauphin Island. 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.

Unincorporated Mobile County, including Theodore. Earlier guidance: the county's hurricane debris page dates from Hurricane Sally in 2020 and had no Isaias instructions when we checked. It said to put vegetative and construction debris in separate piles at the curb or right-of-way, not in ditches and not blocking roads, storm drains, hydrants, or utility meters. mobilecountyal.gov
City of Mobile. The city's hurricane page had no post-storm debris instructions when we checked. It says not to put trash piles out before the storm and to report storm debris through 311. As earlier guidance, after Hurricane Sally in 2020 the city asked residents to sort debris into three piles. cityofmobile.gov
Town of Dauphin Island. Earlier guidance: for Hurricane Sally in 2020, Mobile County ran storm debris pickup for Dauphin Island, with vegetative and construction debris in separate piles at the curb or right-of-way. We did not find an Isaias debris notice on the town site. mobilecountyal.gov

We did not find a storm debris page for the City of Prichard and the City of Saraland. 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 Mobile and Mobile 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 Mobile

lossmap documents the property. If the home is not livable, our parent company covers temporary housing on your lot in Mobile, 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 Mobile.

Nearby areas

Drone documentation in Pascagoula and Ocean Springs · Drone documentation in Baldwin County · 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 Mobile After Hurricane Isaias