Seaside Heights was as much a part of the cast of 'Jersey Shore' as the drunken, overly-tanned humans who got so much air time. And now that the community has taken a devastating hit at the hands of Hurricane Sandy, the reality show's cast members are issuing eulogies.

When the storm ripped through the East Coast on Monday night, it left the New Jersey coastal town in utter ruin and destroyed its famous FunTown Amusement Pier on the northern end of the boardwalk.

"There has to be a billion dollars of damage here," Seaside Heights Mayor Bill Akers told USA Today. "I never could have imagined it."

Indeed, here's a before and after:

seaside-heights
Dave Kotinsky, WireImage / @TwatchhNLearn, Twitter
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In a joint statement to MTV News, the 'Jersey Shore' cast members expressed sorrow at what's become of the place they called home for four of the show's six seasons.

Snooki said, "Sandy destroyed Seaside — our second home. It's devastating to see our boardwalk and favorite spots ruined. My prayers go out to everyone affected by the storm."

"My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy, especially our friends and family in Seaside Heights," added Pauly D. "A huge thank you to all the men and women who have been working around the clock to protect and help everyone. [They are] true heroes."

And JWoww chimed in with, "This is a devastating time for the East Coast and my prayers are with everyone. I am thinking about my second family at the Jersey Shore and know that we can rebuild and come back stronger."

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