Washington  - New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin lifted traffic blockades Wednesday for people returning from the hurricane evacuation, hours before the previously-set deadline of midnight.

City officials made the decision after traffic backed up on roads leading back to the city, a sort of reverse picture from Saturday and Sunday, when 1.9 million people fled the Gulf Coast, according to the Times Picayune newspaper online..

"No one will be turned back if you have an identification card that you live in this area," Nagin was quoted as saying in a radio interview. "This is not the best time for them to return, but so be it."

Surrounding suburban parishes had already lifted blockades by early Wednesday morning.

Hurricane Gustav narrowly missed New Orleans, and hit the Gulf Coast with reduced force, sparing the region damage on the scale of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

But officials warned that nearly 1 million customers are still without power in Louisiana, water and fuel were in short supply and grocery stores remained closed. (dpa)