King tides are dramatically reshaping parts of Volusia County’s coastline, pushing sand around and leaving many beaches bare — and the worst may not be over yet.

Powerful waves have created steep drop-offs along the shoreline, with little to no buffer remaining between the water and seawalls in some areas. Volusia County officials say it’s too soon to fully assess the damage, with another high tide expected to bring even more trouble.

The changes are especially visible at 27th Beachfront Park, where sand has been pushed aside, exposing seawalls that were once protected.

“I just looked down and the foam was flying!” said Roni, a local resident.

For beachgoers and longtime residents, the transformation has been startling.

“It’s absolutely amazing. I’ve not seen it like this. We’ve lived up here for 40 years and never seen this before,” said Linda, a local resident.

The situation is particularly frustrating along New Smyrna Beach, where the county completed a major sand placement project just months ago. The project placed 550,000 cubic yards of sand along more than four miles of shoreline and was designed to protect coastal property from storms and erosion.

“Everything they’ve done is already washed out to sea. Yep — it’s very disappointing because our taxpayer money is going to this,” said Ramona Highsmith, a local resident.

County officials, however, say the sand may not be gone entirely. Even if it’s no longer visible on the beach, officials say it may have shifted offshore, where it can still help absorb wave energy.

That explanation offers little comfort to some residents.

“They got to keep fixing it! So we have to keep spending the money, I guess!” Highsmith said.

Others are taking a more philosophical view.

“It’s still a beautiful beach, but it’s just a little crazy. Another day in Paradise,” Linda said.

The county says a full assessment of the tidal damage won’t be possible until the tidal event concludes — likely sometime between mid- and late week.