That is the magic number for the Opgenroths. At that stage, the water runs past the doors and into the restaurant. But everything can be easily cleaned there: the floor and walls are tiled, the counter is made of stainless steel. Once they kept the restaurant dry with pumps to spare themselves from cleaning up. "We will not make that mistake again. Due to the water pressure, the floor cracked. "

On Monday morning at 7am, the water level was at 8.2 meters and expected to recede. Millions of euros have been invested in recent years to keep the water from reaching homes. A wall which runs along the Beuel promenade, withstands a level of 9.5 meters, but only if the flood gates are closed.

On Saturday morning, volunteers of the Technische Hilfswerk (Technical Relief Organization - THW) from Beuel mounted flooding gates. There are twelve gates in total, made up of several thick aluminum beams. With large screws, the brackets are attached to the masonry, the bars inserted and pressed with brackets from top and front. "Due to the rubber coating on the support surfaces, the doors are almost completely sealed and particularly robust thanks to their construction," explains Ralf Reetmeyer from THW. Above all, they are quick and easy to assemble.

In the past, sandbags had to be filled and stacked instead. For the 2.5 meter long and about one meter high gate on Ringstraße, helpers would have been busy for hours. Almost 3500 sand bags would have been needed to protect them from the Rhine. Now, a flood gate is erected within fifteen minutes. "The system has proven itself elsewhere in Bonn. But we put it on Ringstraße for the first time since it was bought more than ten years ago," says Reetmeyer.

Gertrude Jöbsch is skeptical, she checks the water level regularly. She has lived all her life on the banks of the river in Beuel, and has experienced the 100-year flood of 1993 as well as many others. "I'm worried that the built-up water is now flowing in our direction," she says. In order to hold the water back, the city of Bonn has set up more flood gates, but they remain open. If the forecasts are correct, the water will come straight up to Jöbsch's driveway. She remains on alert.

But even more important is a small notebook. In the past decades she has meticulously recorded every flood and the necessary protective measures in the house. "I always start when the seven-meter mark is exceeded," said the 84-year-old. On December 23, 1993, she noted the following at 5 am: "The level is expected to rise further. We still have 5-10 cm. The water is at the base of the lowest terrace staircase level. RWE turns off the electricity." At 8 am comes the next entry. "Dad, grandma, dog are evacuated by boat."

“I was really scared,” says Jöbsch. But now she is relaxed. Upgrades were made after that. In the basement there are bulkheads. On the porch is an emergency generator. The house has different circuits, so that not all fail at once. In case of an evacuation, two portable boats are ready. "I live with the Rhine every day. 360 days a year it is quiet and beautiful, five days it is stressful. "

There is no sign of stress on the promenade. On both sides of the Rhine, flooding tourists come to experience the natural spectacle. Fathers explain to their sons how the thaw in the Alps causes the rivers to swell. Dogs dart through the small waves that slosh over the asphalt. "You have to see that, this unstoppable force," says Florian Leister. He has taken a walk along the Kennedy Bridge with his girlfriend and child and pauses - for a selfie.

From the balcony of the Beuel Water Police, Michael Adler observes the visitors with mixed feelings. "The quiet surface of the Rhine is deceptive. It’s strength is often underestimated," he says. Even at a few centimeters deep there are strong currents. "A railing cannot protect from that." In addition, a lot of debris is floating down the Rhine, which can cause injury.” The THW have set up a makeshift jetty for the water police since the normal one is already underwater.

"In any case, we are only going out when something happens and no longer doing the regular patrols on the Rhine," explains Adler. Water traffic was already suspended on Saturday. "But if someone gets into trouble on or in the Rhine, of course we are there."

Monika Opgenorth is glad that the water traffic has been halted: "The waves that are created knock the plaster off the wall." Inside, the family has already set up the high-pressure water cleaner. She expects that the restaurant can re-open next weekend. "Gastronomy is our livelihood after all. We can not afford downtime." Would it not be better to move the restaurant to a safer location? "No way. In the summer we live off the Rhine, in winter with it."

(Orig. text: Nicolas Ottersbach. Translation: Carol Kloeppel)