BETHEL – Five North Road residents whose property was substantially damaged by the catastrophic July 11 flooding of Chapman Brook sought help from Bethel selectmen at Monday night’s board meeting.

None had flood insurance, spokesman Bob Laux said, because their properties were certified to be higher than an existing flood plain.

“Our only potential is to have the town be kind enough to help,” Laux said. “I certainly don’t have $25,000 to $30,000 to fix my yard. It’s quite a mess and, we’re just asking the town for help. Unfortunately we’re all stuck with the damage.”

In a July 24 letter to the town, Laux estimated damages to the Vernon and Tamara Davis property on Daisy Bryant Road at $20,000 to $25,000; to his yard and trout pond, $35,000 to $40,000; to John and Barbara MacDougall’s house, yard and two vehicles, $35,000 to $40,000; to Doug and Jane Walker’s property and vehicles, $5,000 to $10,000; and to Robin Gilbert’s basement, which was filled with water, $750 to $1,000.

Although he spoke for each of the affected homeowners, Laux said Monday night that he was mainly concerned about John and Barbara MacDougall, whose house sustained structural damage when the flood surrounded it about 11 p.m. on July 11.

“They’ve probably got mold in the house … and their electrical box was submerged with water. The reality is, our neighbors are all pretty much affected. I’m not sure what I’m even going to do with my pond, which has 6 inches of mud just around the surface. It’s quite a mess,” Laux said.

When asked by selectmen, Laux said he’d appealed for help from Gov. John Baldacci’s office and U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins.

“There’s not a whole lot we can do,” Selectman Dennis Doyon said.

Town Manager Scott Cole said help might come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but, he added, “The forecast is not good right now.”

So far, the town has done driveway repairs for the Walkers and MacDougalls.

“It was the right thing to do,” Cole said.

“The town could apply on behalf of our neighbors through the Community Development Block Grant program. I find it interesting that the (Angevine Park) swimming hole damage can be covered, but the people who support the swimming hole with taxes, can’t be helped,” Laux said.

Selectmen agreed to do what they could to help, but didn’t make any promises.