New authorities maps present nearly the entire West is in drought and it’s not even summer season yet: “This is unprecedented”

In an unprecedented move, Southern California officials declared a water shortage emergency and asked roughly 6 million residents to restrict all outdoor watering to simply as soon as per week.  

"We knew local weather change would stress our water supplies and we've been making ready for it however we didn't know it will happen this fast," mentioned Gloria Gray, chairwoman of the Metropolitan Water District Board of Directors.  

The most recent authorities maps present almost all of the West is in drought, and 95% of California is struggling severe or excessive drought.

"That is actual. This is severe. That is unprecedented," said Adel Hagekhalil, basic manager for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.  

California isn't alone as reservoirs throughout the West are draining.  

Lake Mead, the most important reservoir within the nation fashioned by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, needs a new pump to make sure water can movement to Las Vegas. 

"The problem with local weather change is that it takes all of the historic patterns and kind of shifts them," NASA scientist Dr. JT Reager told CBS News' Ben Tracy. 

Reager said the West is in a 22-year megadrought, as climate change makes it hotter and drier. 

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