New government maps present nearly the entire West is in drought and it’s not even summer time yet: “That is unprecedented”

In an unprecedented move, Southern California officials declared a water scarcity emergency and asked roughly 6 million residents to restrict all out of doors watering to only as soon as every week.  

"We knew climate change would stress our water provides and we have been making ready for it but we did not know it will occur this fast," mentioned Gloria Grey, chairwoman of the Metropolitan Water District Board of Directors.  

The latest government maps show practically all the West is in drought, and 95% of California is suffering severe or extreme drought.

"This is actual. That is serious. This is unprecedented," stated Adel Hagekhalil, basic supervisor for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.  

California will not be alone as reservoirs throughout the West are draining.  

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

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

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

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