FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS EXTENDS STATE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY FOR ANOTHER SEVEN DAYS

Fort Myers, FL (August 10, 2004) - The Board of Lee County Commissioners extended the state of local emergency today for another seven days as a precaution because of two tropical storms in the Gulf of Mexico and Carribean.

Commissioners originally declared the state of local emergency Aug. 3 due to concerns about flooding from continuing rain in Southwest Florida last week.

While that rain has stopped, there are concerns about more rain from the tropical storms that are forming.

There currently are no areas in the county reporting significant flooding.

The major impact of the 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).