O'Malley declares emergency in Maryland

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has declared a state of emergency, a designation allowing him to activate the Maryland National Guard, suspend state law if necessary, and set the stage for another bid for federal financial relief if cleanup efforts from a predicted monstrous snowfall overwhelm local and state budgets.

O'Malley is scheduled to make the announcement shortly in Hanover, at a state emergency operations center.

Maryland National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Charles Kohler said 200 soldiers have been identified who could be called up for emergency relief operations, and full-time staff have already placed Humvees and other equipment in strategic locations around the state.

It is the second time in seven weeks that O'Malley has declared a state of emergency. During the snow storm on Dec. 18 and 19, National Guard troops deployed 5-ton vehicles to each state police barracks and helped local governments transport officers and medical patients.

-- Aaron C. Davis