(3rd PoV)
Everyone is tense, but there is nothing that can be done. The Monster tide is upon them and what they could do was to fight the monsters with everything that they got.
Luckily, people do know that sometimes the estimations are wrong and the tides may occur before the estimated date. So the defences are already up.
What the defence line was missing were the people who were supposed to hold the line.
Since it was supposed to happen the next day, no one was outside, except for the ones that were on duty. Everyone else was taking a rest so that they would be at their peak when they would fight the monsters the next day.
This was a situation that was not expected but was something they were dealt with.
Now, they have only two choices fight or flee.
If they fight, before others can come, there is a chance that they will die. Deaths in a monster tide are common but the probability of death at this point is very high, unlike when everyone is here.
