In a letter this week to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Governor O’Malley requested disaster relief for 13 counties that experienced a significant loss of crops due to drought and heat.  Data shows these jurisdictions have had crop losses of more than 30 percent this year.  From the Baltimore Sun:

“By requesting this disaster designation, we hope to provide some relief to our local farmers, who are a vital part of Maryland’s economy, and we will continue to work with the Maryland Department of Agriculture and our federal delegation to help our farmers get through this drought,” O’Malley said in a statement about the request released Wednesday.

The counties O’Malley requested disaster declarations for were Anne Arundel, Dorchester, Somerset, Calvert, Kent, Talbot, Caroline, Prince George’s, Wicomico, Cecil, Queen Anne’s, Charles and St. Mary’s.