The water came to Altenahr in the evening.
It rose so suddenly that the people in the village could only flee to higher floors, briefly warned by the fire department - and then had to hope that their house would withstand the floods.
"It was like a tsunami," said one firefighter.
Whole houses drove off.
At least 117 people died in the Ahrweiler district alone.
Germany had a total of 164 flood deaths by Monday.
And with every cellar that is pumped out, every street that is cleared of rubble, there could be more.
Now, a few days after the disaster, the true extent of the devastation that the water left behind is becoming apparent: Mud and debris characterize the cityscape not only in Altenahr, but in many other places in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia.
The destruction is so great that it can be seen from space.
Here you can see satellite images of six badly affected cities - before and after the flood.
lmd