5 meters high, 7 kilometers long: thanks to the Winterdijk, the Westhoek does not completely flood. “At least another two weeks before all the water is gone” | Flooding in West and East Flanders

The situation in the Westhoek remains precarious. The water is already flowing over the Winterdijk, an earthen berm of about seven kilometers long between Houthulst and Diksmuide. But what exactly is the Winterdijk? And how difficult is the battle in such a flood-prone area, now that the dike has overflowed? Pieter-Jan Taillieu, Flemish Polders and Wateringen expert, explains.