The National Hurricane Center issued tropical storm warnings for Florida's East Coast as Hurricane Sandy -currently near the Bahamas- approaches U.S. territory.

The center said on Thursday at 2 pm EST, that hurricane Sandy was expected to reach the northwestern Bahamas Thursday night and Friday and tropical storm conditions were expected to reach the East Coast of Florida later today and spread northward through Friday. (See Warnings Below)

Hurricane Sandy currently is a category 2 hurricane with sustained winds near 105 mph. It is moving toward the north near 20 mph, the NOAA said Thursday afternoon.

"Some weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours but Sandy is expected to remain a hurricane as it moves through the Bahamas," said the NOAA's advisory.

Sandy hit southeastern Cuba early Thursday causing at least one death, according to one Cuban radio station. Damage to Cuba included power cuts, falling trees and damaged homes.

Forecasters said Sandy will hit the East Coast of the United States strongly. The hardest-hit areas could extend anywhere from the coast of the Carolinas up to Maine. Metropolitan areas such as New York City and Boston are also in danger.

"It is likely that significant impacts will be felt over portions of the U.S. East Coast through the weekend and into early next week," the National Hurricane Center said.

According to Accuweather's expert Alex Sosnowski some areas will be hit with "damaging winds, power outages, flooding rainfall, battering surf and storm surge. Windswept rain will slow travel in general."

"Tens of millions of people and thousands of communities could be impacted by the storm," he said.

Sosnowski predicted that Hurricane Sandy - now a Category 2 hurricane- will make landfall early next week between Virginia and New Scotia.

Sandy is the 18th storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. It was upgraded to a hurricane overnight after lashing Jamaica.

Hurricane Sandy:

Tropical Storm Warning in Effect for:

-Florida East Coast from Ocean Reef to Flagler Beach

-Lake Okeechobee

-Remainder of Southeastern Bahamas

Tropical Storm Watch in Effect for:

-Florida East Coast from North Flagler Beach to Fernandina Beach

-Florida Upper Keys from Ocean Reef to Craig Key

-Florida Bay