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

Yes. Order online at lossmap.io/order or call (214) 493-1515, for property in City of Pensacola, Perdido Key, and unincorporated Escambia 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 Pensacola International Airport after the storm?

Pensacola International Airport is Class C airspace from the surface to 4,200 feet MSL in the inner area, with an outer shelf from 1,400 feet MSL, 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 Pensacola?

Escambia County: The county's Permitting After a Storm page says emergency repairs may be made for safety, security, and to secure the building from further exposure, and permit applications for emergency repairs must be submitted within 7 days of the disaster. Emergency temporary tarps to reduce water intrusion are listed as a minor repair that does not need a permit, as is replacing less than 2 squares of asphalt shingles when the underlayment and sheathing need no repair. Roof covering replacement and roof structure repair need permits and are on the county's expedited list. 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 Pensacola?

Escambia County: The county decides whether a storm warrants special debris collection. Residents follow regular service schedules and watch for announced changes. Special collection may be available only for a limited time, after which debris is the property owner's responsibility. Separate debris into construction, vegetative, white goods, electronics, and household hazardous waste. 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 Pensacola?

State of Florida: Florida reserves drone regulation to the state, so cities and counties may not pass their own ordinances on drone operation, airspace, altitude, or flight paths. State law separately limits flights over critical infrastructure such as power plants, airports, and military installations, and over K-12 schools without written consent. 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.

Pensacola 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.
Florida: Executive Order 26-211, signed October 7, declares a state of emergency in 27 counties, listed in the order, including Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay. Executive Office of the Governor of Florida, Executive Order 26-211.

For current warnings and orders in Pensacola and Escambia County, follow the National Hurricane Center and Escambia County Emergency Management (Storm Center).

Safety first

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

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

Pensacola International Airport (Class C airspace from the surface to 4,200 feet MSL in the inner area, with an outer shelf from 1,400 feet MSL). Parts of Pensacola, including downtown, East Hill, Ferry Pass, and the neighborhoods around the airport, sit inside Class C airspace that starts at the ground, so a Part 107 pilot needs FAA authorization before a flight. How high the FAA facility map allows depends on distance from the runways, and close in there is no automatic approval. FAA data
NAS Pensacola (Forrest Sherman Field) (Class C airspace from the surface to 4,200 feet MSL in the inner area, with an outer shelf from 1,400 feet MSL). Parts of Warrington, Myrtle Grove, Innerarity Point, and the west side of the county near the base are inside Class C airspace that starts at the ground, so a flight there needs FAA authorization first, and the pilot checks each address. FAA data
NAS Pensacola, Corry Station, and Navy outlying field NOLF Site 8 (a national security drone flight restriction from the surface to 400 feet). Drones may not fly over these installations. It is a fixed no-fly area, not something an airspace authorization approves. For a home next to a base, the pilot checks the boundary on the FAA map, and the job review confirms whether and when a flight can happen. FAA data
Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key (under the Pensacola Class C outer shelf, which starts at 1,400 feet MSL; FAA data show no controlled airspace at the surface at the points checked). The national seashore and state parks on these islands have their own drone rules, below. The pilot checks each address, and after the storm the FAA may put a temporary flight restriction over the area. FAA data
North Escambia County (Cantonment, Molino, Century) (an area where FAA data show no controlled airspace near the ground and no restricted area at the points checked). 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 Pensacola, 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 Florida 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

State of Florida. Florida reserves drone regulation to the state, so cities and counties may not pass their own ordinances on drone operation, airspace, altitude, or flight paths. State law separately limits flights over critical infrastructure such as power plants, airports, and military installations, and over K-12 schools without written consent. In its words: “a political subdivision may not enact or enforce an ordinance or resolution relating to the design, manufacture, testing, maintenance, licensing, registration, certification, or operation of an unmanned aircraft system” leg.state.fl.us
Gulf Islands National Seashore. Drones may not take off, land, or fly from or on the seashore's lands and waters, including Fort Pickens, the Santa Rosa area on Santa Rosa Island, and the Perdido Key area. This is a federal park rule. In its words: “Launching, landing, or operating an unmanned aircraft (drone) from or on the lands and waters of the national seashore is prohibited.” nps.gov
Florida state parks. Florida's state park rule bars any aircraft or other aerial apparatus from taking off from or landing in a state park, such as Perdido Key State Park, Big Lagoon State Park, and Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park, except in a life-threatening emergency or at a designated landing facility. flrules.org

We did not find a local drone takeoff or landing rule on the official pages of the City of Pensacola and unincorporated Escambia County, including Perdido Key and Pensacola Beach. 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.

Escambia County. The county's Permitting After a Storm page says emergency repairs may be made for safety, security, and to secure the building from further exposure, and permit applications for emergency repairs must be submitted within 7 days of the disaster. Emergency temporary tarps to reduce water intrusion are listed as a minor repair that does not need a permit, as is replacing less than 2 squares of asphalt shingles when the underlayment and sheathing need no repair. Roof covering replacement and roof structure repair need permits and are on the county's expedited list. myescambia.com
Pensacola Beach. The same county page says every permit application on Pensacola Beach must first be approved by the Santa Rosa Island Authority floodplain administrator before it goes to the county. myescambia.com
City of Pensacola. The city's building FAQ says roofing permits are filed through its Building Inspections division in MGO Connect. We did not find a City of Pensacola page on tarps or emergency storm roof repairs. cityofpensacola.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.

Escambia County. The county decides whether a storm warrants special debris collection. Residents follow regular service schedules and watch for announced changes. Special collection may be available only for a limited time, after which debris is the property owner's responsibility. Separate debris into construction, vegetative, white goods, electronics, and household hazardous waste. myescambia.com
City of Pensacola. The city decides whether a storm warrants special debris collection. Residents follow regular service schedules and watch for changes. Special collection may be limited in time, after which debris is the property owner's responsibility. Report road debris and downed trees through 311. cityofpensacola.com

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 Pensacola and Escambia 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 Pensacola

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

Nearby areas

Drone documentation in Baldwin County · Drone documentation in Santa Rosa 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 Pensacola After Hurricane Isaias