The wind, snow and rainstorms of the past few weeks have caused more than just headaches for many homeowners. They've hit them in the pocketbook as well -- if they weren't prepared.

When storm damage hits home, homeowners get on the phone to their insurance agent for help. Unfortunately, many come away disappointed or worse – losing their entire home.

Volunteers try to salvage what's left of the Bue home in Lewis County following a flood of the Chehalis River.

"In a time of lost faith, they're there to help restore it. We're very lucky. We're very lucky," said flood victim Luana Bue.

But the Bue's luck ran out because while they did have homeowner's insurance, they didn’t have flood insurance, which is available only from the federal government.

Eventually, the home was declared a total loss.

"Many homeowners are under the impression that because it's called "homeowner's insurance," everything related to the home is covered, and it's not," said Karl Newman of the Northwest Insurance Institute.

Standard insurance policies cover damage caused by wind. They will also cover water damage that's caused by wind, such as water that enters a damaged roof.

Damage caused by snow is also covered, including the many shed roofs that recently collapsed.

What’s not covered by standard homeowner's insurance is damage caused by mudslides and landslides -- that requires a separate policy.

As the Bues and others have discovered, damage caused by water entering the home in a flood is not covered.

That too requires a separate policy available through the National Flood Insurance Program. And then there are the grey areas of insurance coverage.

Tammy Reece's Marysville home was badly damaged by a tree that fell in a windstorm, a tree from her neighbor’s yard. She was stunned to learn she wouldn't get a penny from her neighbor's insurance company.

"You would think that with the tree coming from somebody else's property, that regardless, that they would be responsible,” Reece said.

But usually, they are not. The neighbor is responsible only if he or she knew the tree was in danger of falling and did nothing about it; that can be very difficult to prove.

Regarding flood insurance, you must buy it at least 30 days in advance, so while that insurance may not help you in this storm, it may in the next.

Also, storm damage to vehicles is not covered under your homeowner's policy, but it is covered by automobile insurance -- provided you have comprehensive coverage.