UNDATED (CNN) -- Hurricane Sandy has claimed at least two lives; one in Jamaica and one in Haiti. The weather system is headed toward Cuba and could impact the eastern coast of the United States.

Hurricane Sandy battered Jamaica with 80-mile-an-hour winds when it hit Wednesday afternoon. The storm downed trees and damaged homes all cross the island.

Seventy-percent of the country was without electricity, according to TV Jamaica. Officials say more than a thousand people went to shelters.

It strengthened once leaving Jamaica making landfall in Cuba overnight as a strong category two storm with 110-mile-per-hour winds and torrential rain.

The 18th-named storm of the season is kicking up the seas off Fort Lauderdale beach.

Jason Russo is visiting from Connecticut and couldn't resist jumping in. He says, "I went in the water, I did about three somersaults, strong rip current."

Fort Lauderdale's ocean rescue says the waters are dangerous. Chief Breck Ballou says, "We advise people not to go in the water, it is very, very rough."

But, he knows not everyone will heed the warning. Ballou says, "The expert surfers will be out there so we just tell them to be careful and we're there if they need our help we're there to go out and get them."

The National Hurricane Center says sandy will travel north over the next few days paralleling the U.S. coast.

Emergency management officials in Massachusetts are already warning residents in case hurricane sandy becomes a powerful Nor'easter.

A powerful Nor'easter hit on Halloween weekend last year. The deadly storm dumped record amounts of snow and paralyzed the Northeast.