FIRST ALERT WEATHER: Hurricane Isaias strengthens to Category 3, landfall expected near Florida-Alabama line

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Hurricane Isaias has strengthened into a Category 3 storm with landfall expected tonight near the Alabama-Florida line, prompting evacuation orders and a state of emergency for 27 Florida counties.Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order for the counties, focusing on northern Florida and the northwest Florida Panhandle.“The resources have been flowing, the preparations have been extensive, and we are taking this storm very, very seriously,” DeSantis said.Communities are bracing for storm surge, damaging winds, flooding and possible tornadoes. Residents are boarding up windows and picking up last-minute supplies as emergency crews prepare to respond.Okaloosa County is one of the 27 counties under the state of emergency. In Destin, surf conditions were rough Friday morning, though that did not stop some residents from going to the beach despite evacuation orders in place.As of 11 a.m., Hurricane Isaias had sustained winds of 120 mph, up from 110 mph earlier. Fi