MACCLENNY, Fla. – 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 landfall
The 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 that flooding is separate from the potential impacts of the approaching storm.
Residents begin preparing as ground saturates
In Macclenny, some residents say they are not overly nervous about the storm, but are taking precautions.
“I think we’ll be fine — we always have our hurricane prep for the year, sandbags for when it is low, things like that,” said Ed Jones, a Baker County resident. “I got my generator ready to go.”
Water began backing up and filling drain lines in a Macclenny neighborhood, a sign that the already-saturated ground has little capacity to absorb more rainfall.
No countywide sandbag operations currently active
Despite the state of emergency and recent heavy rainfall, there are no countywide sandbag operations currently underway in either Baker or Columbia County, officials said.
The primary concern as the storm approaches is additional rainfall, strong winds and the potential for more flooding.
Residents are watching the forecast closely as the storm moves closer, particularly given how saturated the ground already is from days of rain.
Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.