49 of 50 Hancock Bank of Louisiana Branches Open for Business

BATON ROUGE, La., Sept. 5, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fewer than four days since
Hurricane Gustav battered Louisiana's coastal and central regions, Hancock Bank
of Louisiana has opened 98 percent of the company's Louisiana branches,
including offices in more heavily impacted communities throughout metropolitan
Baton Rouge, Central Louisiana, and greater New Orleans.

In fact, Hancock was the first bank to reopen in the capital city -- less than
24 hours after Gustav's landfall -- and has reopened more branches in Louisiana
than any other bank currently serving storm affected areas. Hancock will also
open Louisiana branches tomorrow, Saturday, September 6, 2008, from 9:00 a.m.
until noon, including locations that do not typically open for Saturday banking.

With assets of approximately $6.2 billion, Hancock Holding Company (Nasdaq:HBHC)
is the parent company of Hancock Bank of Louisiana, Hancock Bank Mississippi,
Hancock Bank of Alabama, and Hancock Bank of Florida. Hancock Bank of Louisiana
is headquartered in Baton Rouge.

"Our associates in Louisiana and their colleagues in Mississippi, Alabama, and
Florida have demonstrated phenomenal dedication to the core values on which
Hancock was founded. Despite extremely difficult post-storm conditions, our
Louisiana teams opened 25 percent of our Louisiana locations the morning after
the storm. They have worked days, nights, and weekends to ensure Hancock can
offer customers the financial services they need to recover from Hurricane
Gustav," said Hancock Holding Company Retail Executive Ricky Hill.

All of Hancock's Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida branches as well as corporate
and personal trust, commercial banking, small business services, mortgage,
insurance, investments, and wealth management divisions opened for regular
business hours on Tuesday, September 2. ATMs, e-banking and telephone banking
remained available throughout the storm; and customer service call centers
opened on Sunday, August 31, and on Labor Day to assist customers preparing for
Gustav.

A Hancock branch on Plank Road in Baton Rouge sustained enough storm damage to
pose safety issues for customers and employees. Hancock officials expect to
resolve options for banking services at that location by the weekend.

Founded in 1899, Hancock Bank operates 164 banking and financial services
offices and 134 ATMs across a Gulf South I-10 corridor market spanning
Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida. Bank subsidiaries include Hancock
Investment Services, Inc., Hancock Insurance Agency and its divisions of New
Orleans-based J. Everett Eaves and Ross King Walker, and Harrison Finance
Company.

The Hancock Holding Company logo is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2758

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CONTACT: Hancock Bank
R. Paul Maxwell, VP & Corporate Communications Manager
1.800.522.6542 (x. 87953)
paul_maxwell@hancockbank.com
Paul D. Guichet, VP, Investor Relations Manager
1.800.522.6542 (x. 86559)
paul_guichet@hancockbank.com