New authorities maps show practically all of the West is in drought and it’s not even summer season but: “That is unprecedented”

In an unprecedented move, Southern California officials declared a water shortage emergency and asked roughly 6 million residents to restrict all outside watering to just once every week.  

"We knew climate change would stress our water provides and we've been making ready for it however we didn't know it will occur this quick," mentioned Gloria Grey, chairwoman of the Metropolitan Water District Board of Administrators.  

The latest government maps show almost all of the West is in drought, and 95% of California is struggling extreme or excessive drought.

"That is real. This is serious. This is unprecedented," mentioned Adel Hagekhalil, common supervisor for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.  

California is just not alone as reservoirs throughout the West are draining.  

Lake Mead, the largest reservoir within the nation shaped by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, needs a brand new pump to ensure water can movement to Las Vegas. 

"The problem with climate change is that it takes all the historic patterns and form of shifts them," NASA scientist Dr. JT Reager informed CBS Information' Ben Tracy. 

Reager mentioned the West is in a 22-year megadrought, as local weather change makes it hotter and drier. 

"We're just starting to see the dominoes fall. It's drier, we're starting to see less water in our reservoirs, and we've got fires, and in California, there's simply this sequence of penalties that we anticipate," mentioned Reager.