Noon CT Hurricane Update, Friday, Sept. 30: Hibernia Customer-Contact Offices Will Be Open on Columbus Day to Serve Consumers, S

Hibernia Bank (NYSE:HIB) today announced that its
customer-contact offices in Louisiana and Texas will be open on
Columbus Day, Oct. 10, to serve consumer, small-business and
commercial customers. Columbus Day traditionally is a federal holiday
recognized by most U.S. banks, including Hibernia.
   In addition, the bank has re-opened a branch in Lake Charles, La.
- the first Hibernia branch to open in that market following Hurricane
Rita - at 3225 Ryan St. with hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
   "In the aftermath of two destructive hurricanes along the Gulf
Coast, customers are working hard to restore their businesses and
re-establish a sense of normalcy in their personal lives," said Paul
Bonitatibus, president of consumer and business banking. "Hibernia can
help them during this difficult time, so we're opening our offices on
Columbus Day to serve them."

   In Louisiana:

   --  In addition to the Lake Charles office, others open in
        Southwest Louisiana are Jennings, Kinder, Oberlin, Oakdale and
        Welsh.

   --  In the New Orleans area, Hibernia plans the following Monday
        openings: the French Quarter office at 137 Royal St. and a
        Metairie office at 4949 W. Esplanade Ave. The bank's 3540 St.
        Charles Ave. and 3800 Gen. DeGaulle Drive offices in Orleans
        Parish reopened earlier this week. Other branches in the
        region that had already re-opened following Hurricane Katrina
        are still open.

   --  Offices in Lafayette and Abbeville are open, with the
        exception of the Abbeville drive-up.

   In Texas:

   --  In Beaumont, the office at 3475 Phelan Blvd. opened today.
        Other offices in the Beaumont, Orange and surrounding markets
        remain closed.

   --  All other locations in Texas are open.

   Hibernia is on Forbes magazine's list of the world's 2,000 largest
companies and Fortune magazine's list of America's top 1,000 companies
according to annual revenue. Hibernia has $22.1 billion in assets and
321 locations in 34 Louisiana parishes and 36 Texas counties. Hibernia
Corporation's common stock (HIB) is listed on the New York Stock
Exchange.