The winter dike of the Blankaart basin was constructed after the heavy floods of Christmas 1993. It is an earthen berm of 7 km, on the border of Merkem and Woumen. The dike buffers water and also protects farms and homes against water levels up to 5 meters above sea level.
Geert Weymeis, spokesperson for De Vlaamse Waterweg: “We have inspected the dike and found that there is damage in various zones over a distance of 1 km. But the damage is not of such magnitude that we should fear for the maintenance of the dike. The dike still fulfills its function today. If a new precipitation zone is created, the dike will help control the situation.”