Florida Panhandle · Recovery desk
Hurricane Isaias: what to do now
What happened. What to document. Where to find official county updates.
Isaias made landfall near Destin on October 9. OTM keeps the property side focused here; NOAA/NWS and local authorities remain the source for weather, roads and emergency instructions.
Residential · Condo & HOA · Commercial · Direct adjuster access
NHC reported landfall near Destin, Florida, around 8:30 PM CDT on October 9, 2026, with maximum sustained winds of approximately 105 mph and estimated central pressure of 971 mb.
A NOAA/NOS gauge in Panama City Beach reported about 5.6 feet above mean higher high water. NHC described this as an approximation of inundation in that area; it is not an exact flood depth at an individual property.
NHC reported a 116 mph gust at a WeatherFlow station near Santa Rosa Sound. This station observation does not establish damage to surrounding buildings.
OTM recovery desk
Start with your situation.
Choose what you need and the property type. The page narrows the guidance without pretending to know coverage from a form answer.
What to do next
Confirm access first. When safe, photograph the exterior and each affected room before cleanup. Do not climb on damaged roofs or enter unsafe buildings.
Document roof, exterior and interior separately; preserve temporary repair records, mitigation invoices and the sequence of water entry. Retain damaged materials where safe and practical; do not delay necessary safety work.
Want OTM to look at the property file?
We can review the photos, estimates, carrier paperwork and claim stage with you. County resources stay available below, but you do not have to sort out the insurance side alone.
Official county links
Directory links verified 2026-10-10. Check the source itself for current conditions.
Full Okaloosa County resource desk →Five-county recovery corridor
County resources without the link maze.
The counties below are OTM's current Panhandle service and recovery priority area. This is not a map claiming every city or property sustained damage.
Escambia County
Pensacola · Pensacola Beach · Century
Santa Rosa County
Gulf Breeze · Navarre · Milton
Okaloosa County
Destin · Fort Walton Beach · Crestview · Niceville
Walton County
Miramar Beach · Santa Rosa Beach · 30A · DeFuniak Springs
Bay County
Panama City · Panama City Beach · Lynn Haven
Property record first
Four things worth doing before the file gets messy.
Make the property safe
Follow local instructions first. Do not enter a flooded, energized or structurally unsafe building.
Photograph before cleanup
When safe, capture the exterior, each affected room, contents and visible water lines before material is removed.
Keep the temporary-work trail
Save mitigation invoices, emergency repair receipts, contractor notes and photographs of temporary protection.
Keep the claim file together
Preserve carrier correspondence, inspection dates, estimates, payment explanations and denial letters in one record.
Historical NHC archive
The storm record, kept in context.
These are frozen advisory graphics. They are useful for the event record; they are not current conditions and they are not property-damage maps.
Selected archive
Forecast cone
NHC advisory 15 · Oct. 10, 2026, 09:00 UTC · historical, not a damage map.
Source: NOAA / National Hurricane Center. OTM does not alter the archive graphic.
On The Mark Claim Adjusting
A human review of the property file.
OTM can inspect the loss, organize damage documentation, prepare estimates and represent the policyholder through the adjustment process. The facts and policy control each claim; no result is promised here.
Mark Hobales · Primary Public Adjuster · FL W595496
Does the storm map prove damage at my property?
No. Forecasts, station observations and gauges describe the event. Actual property conditions, causation, policy terms and documentation still have to be reviewed.
Can OTM review a claim that is already open?
Yes. OTM can review an existing claim, including inspection, estimate, payment, delay, supplemental or denial issues.
Is a county damage report the same as an insurance claim?
No. County damage reporting and insurer notice are separate records. Keep confirmation of each when applicable.