FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: David Saniter, Lee County Emergency Management
              (239) 477-3600

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DECLARES 7-DAY STATE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY

Fort Myers, FL (August 3, 2004) - The Board of Lee County Commissioners declared a seven-day state of local emergency today due to concerns about flooding from continuing rain in Southwest Florida.

While no areas are reporting significant flooding now, if rain continues, flooding in some areas could become a concern.

The major impact of this declaration is the release of public money from the Lee County All Hazards Fund for limited use in making emergency repairs to private roads. Authorization to repair private roads is limited to providing "emergency access" for emergency vehicles and personnel.

Emergency access means repairing roads to the extent necessary to make them passable for emergency vehicles (fire, ambulance and law enforcement).