ATKINSON — When the beaver dam in Hovey Meadow Pond let go last spring, water flowed over Old Coach Road. Many of the residents on that road and Mill Stream Drive lost their driveways.
"You'd never in 100 years expect that to happen," Planning Board Chairman Sue Killam said.
Soon, Atkinson homeowners will have a chance to buy flood insurance at a reduced rate. Interim Town Administrator Craig Kleman is drafting a resolution for the town to join the National Flood Insurance program, Selectman Fred Childs said yesterday. After town counsel approves the document, Childs said he expects the selectmen to adopt it.
It won't cost the town anything to enroll.
"We didn't join before, a few years ago," Childs said. "We didn't have heavy downpours and floods like there is now before."
Atkinson is one of about 30 towns in the state that are not enrolled in the program, according to Jim Van Dongen, public information officer for the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
Locally, Newton is the only other town that isn't a member, but officials there are working on joining, planner Lisa Babcock said.
Killam said it was her board that dragged its heels in Atkinson because some longtime members were concerned there could be a downside to the program. But this year they went forward with it because of the three major benefits and other towns' successes.
The first benefit is for people interested in buying a home that is in the town's flood plain, Killam said. Since the town established a flood plain earlier this year, anyone living within the flood plain must buy flood insurance before they get a mortgage.
That insurance is often very expensive, but should be more reasonable once the town joins the National Flood Insurance program, Killam said. Fewer than 10,000 state residents purchase flood insurance.
The final, major benefit is the town's membership would make it easier to get money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Road Agent Ted Stewart said. FEMA offers a higher percentage of aid to enrolled towns.
"It's as simple as that," Stewart said. "They pay more money."
