House slides into the sea as western US battered by storms

It takes only a few seconds for this house in Washington state to plummet into the sea

House slides into the sea as western US coast battered by storms. (Associated Press)

A powerful storm bringing rain, snow and strong winds to the western US coast has caused huge problems for residents, with one man having to watch his home fall into the Pacific Ocean.

Jim Green's house in Washington state crashed into the sea in a matter of seconds has huge waves ate away at the shoreline.

"You know when we bought it there's a page that says erosion, you sign your name. Erosion? That doesn't concern us," Grice told the Associated Press.

The hurricane-force storm on the west coast has caused two deaths in Oregon as well as mudslides and evacuations, with 140mph gusts recorded near Lake Tahoe along the border of California and Nevada. Not that the weather is bothering surfers, who have taken the rare opportunity to ride the wakes on Tahoe.

In San Francisco, the storm flooded roads, brought down trees and knocked out power for more than 100,00 people.

Some areas on the coast saw around nine inches of rain. Despite the intense weather, California is still trying to recover from its recent record drought.

A National Weather Service spokesman said heavy rain was falling in Ventura County as well as western Los Angeles County, where flash flooding remained a concern.

The deaths in Oregon occurred when a homeless man was hit by a falling tree while a teenage boy died when a large tree fell on his vehicle while he was driving, causing him to swerve and hit another tree.

Additional reporting by the AP.