Gov. Martin O'Malley declared a state of emergency on Aug. 25, deploying 100 state troopers to assist with an evacuation of Ocean City and swift-water rescue teams in advance of a "monster hurricane" headed toward Maryland.

“This is a large, this is a deadly, this is a slow-moving hurricane that is bearing down on the state of Maryland,” O'Malley said at the emergency operations center of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency.

O'Malley warned about flooding in coastal and flood-prone areas, and advised residents to have enough food and water to last 72 hours.

"People who live in areas that experience floods in heavy rains will definitely be experiencing flooding from the monster hurricane that is headed to our state," O'Malley said.

"This is going to be a slow-moving, heavy and wet storm that will knock down trees and disrupt people's lives for a period of time," he said. "This is a very, very serious event."