Baker, Columbia County residents brace for Tropical Storm Isaias after DeSantis calls state of emergency

Generators are fueled, sandbags are stacked, and some Northeast Florida residents are bracing for Tropical Storm Isaias — even as the ground is already soaked from days of heavy rain.Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 25 Florida counties as the storm strengthens and threatens to bring more rain, wind and flooding to parts of the state. Baker and Columbia counties are among those included in the declaration, though officials say neither county is expected to be seriously impacted.Storm expected to become hurricane before landfallThe National Hurricane Center says Isaias is expected to strengthen into a hurricane by Thursday, with its outer bands expected to reach parts of Northeast Florida. The storm is forecast to make landfall Friday morning.In Baker and Columbia counties, residents have already been dealing with stationary flooding from several days of heavy rain. Columbia County reported three to six inches of rainfall over the past several days. Officials say t