New government maps present almost all of the West is in drought and it is not even summer season but: “That is unprecedented”

In an unprecedented transfer, Southern California officers declared a water shortage emergency and asked roughly 6 million residents to limit all outdoor watering to simply once a 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," stated Gloria Grey, chairwoman of the Metropolitan Water District Board of Directors.  

The most recent authorities maps present almost the entire West is in drought, and 95% of California is suffering severe or extreme drought.

"This is actual. This is serious. That is unprecedented," mentioned Adel Hagekhalil, general manager for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.  

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

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

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

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

"We're simply beginning to see the dominoes fall. It is drier, we're beginning to see less water in our reservoirs, and we now have fires, and in California, there's simply this collection of consequences that we anticipate," stated Reager.