Each of us may have a favorite “poor me” story from this winter, which seems never-ending, with hundreds of thousands of people left without power in icy and frigid conditions. But a Missouri family of nine probably takes the prize for the worst winter property loss nightmare.

Sometime after the family left home for Florida, a pipe burst on the top floor of their Missouri home, and 44,000 gallons of water cascaded through the house before service was able to be shut off. The interior of the house was soaked, with ice oozing out through lower floor window frames and siding. Imagine a reverse ice dam of sorts. To make matters worse, the homeowners' car broke down, so they couldn't immediately drive home to check the damage. Moreover, none of them could fly home because yet another winter storm resulted in a swarm of canceled flights.

The Missouri ice castle damage is on the far extreme of the damage that many home and commercial building owners are experiencing this year. One of the first questions this family will face in seeking insurance coverage is: What caused the pipe to burst? The unendorsed standard homeowners policy (HO-3) covers damage to both the building and personal property caused by an accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam from a plumbing device: in this case, the pipe. However, the insurance picture isn't so happy if the family hadn't maintained heat in the home during their absence and the pipe froze, causing it to burst and release the water.