MEMA: Don't wait to prepare for possible flooding REISTERSTOWN, MD. (AP) (wesm) - Maryland emergency management officials are urging residents not to wait until the last minute to prepare for possible flooding.

Tropical Storm Hanna is expected to sweep through the state Saturday, bringing high wind and rains. Forecasters expect the Eastern Shore and southern Maryland to be the hardest hit.

Maryland Emergency Management Agency chief of staff Edward Hopkins says the storm is moving fast - but he cautions that tropical storms are unpredictable. If Hanna slows or stalls over part of Maryland, that area could get massive amounts of rainfall. He says people who need to stock up on supplies should do so Friday, before the weather gets worse.

Meanwhile, the Maryland National Guard says all but seven of the soldiers deployed to Louisiana for the Hurricane Gustav relief effort have returned to Maryland because their services weren't needed. Guard leaders continue to monitor Hanna, but no soldiers have been deployed yet.

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