Sentence:  Perhaps as startling as the sheer toll was the <WSD>devastation</WSD> to some of the state's well-known locales. Boardwalks along the beach in Seaside Heights, Belmar and other towns on the Jersey Shore were blown away. Amusement parks, arcades and restaurants all but vanished. Bridges to barrier islands buckled, preventing residents from even inspecting the damage to their property. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  The act of devastating, or the state of being devastated; a laying waste.