Billions In Aid and Investment Bound for Coast

Hancock Bank CEO: "Coast will be rebuilt much better than it was."

BATON ROUGE, La. (September 6, 2005) - The Mississippi Gulf Coast and areas of Louisiana impacted by Hurricane Katrina will receive unprecedented financial resources for recovery and rebuilding efforts, the CEO of Hancock Bank said Tuesday.

Hancock Holding Company Common Dividend Payment Date September 15 Leo W. Seal, Jr., president of Hancock Holding Company, announced today that Hancock's previously announced dividend increase of $.03 per share, or 18%, will be paid on September 15, 2005 to holders of record as of September 6, 2005. Hancock's quarterly common dividend will increase from $.165 per share to $.195 per share. Hancock reports banking operations are returning to normal status following Hurricane Katrina.

"We are seeing the highest concentration of financial resources in the history of the United States flowing into the Mississippi Gulf Coast, parts of Louisiana and New Orleans," said George Schloegel, CEO of Hancock Bank, a banking mainstay of the Mississippi Gulf Coast since 1899. Schloegel, speaking from the bank's temporary operations center in Baton Rouge, said although the devastation and suffering from Hurricane Katrina may be the worst in the nation's history, the financial resources being rallied for re-building are equally historic. Funds for recovery, aid, re-building and new construction will help restore local economies and create jobs.

ADD ONE / BILLIONS IN AID

"President Bush and Congress have committed billions of dollars in recovery funds," Schloegel said. "(Mississippi) Governor (Haley) Barbour and Legislators have made commitments from the state of Mississippi."
Schloegel said insurance companies daily are disbursing funds to affected policy-holders which total in the millions of dollars, along with the financial relief dollars coming from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), Red Cross, SBA (Small Business Administration), Salvation Army and other organizations.

"All these dollars are being re-plowed into the local economy along the Coast and this accomplishes the maximum multiplier effect for bolstering consumer and construction industries," he said. "We also have commitments for untold dollars coming from Americans reaching out from across the country, along with major financial commitments from our friends abroad (other countries)."
Schloegel said the influx of financial assistance will help speed up recovery and rebuilding efforts. He said Hancock Bank, which was forced to move its operations temporarily, has successfully completed its company recovery and has resumed almost normal processing status.
"We've been through this before when the area was hit by Hurricane Camille," Schloegel said. "Hancock Bank has been a part of this community throughout its history, and we will help our citizens to overcome this as we have done before."

Thanks to a company plan for recovering quickly after such an event, Hancock has already re-opened 64 branches that had been affected by the hurricane, including 41 in Louisiana and 23 in Mississippi's hardest-hit areas. The bank re-opened several of its branches almost immediately within 24 hours after the storm and has had facilities open continuously, including on Labor Day.
Hancock officials are presently contemplating measures to assist customers by granting loan extensions and fee waivers. Schloegel said banking operations are presently focused on assisting customers with critical needs.
"The Mississippi and Louisiana Coast will be back, thanks to an indomitable spirit among the people who live here," Shloegel said. "The Coast will be rebuilt much better than it was."