New government maps show almost the entire West is in drought and it’s not even summer but: “That is unprecedented”

In an unprecedented move, Southern California officers declared a water shortage emergency and requested roughly 6 million residents to limit all out of doors watering to only once per week.  

"We knew local weather change would stress our water provides and we have been getting ready for it but we didn't know it will happen this fast," mentioned Gloria Gray, chairwoman of the Metropolitan Water District Board of Administrators.  

The most recent government maps present practically the entire West is in drought, and 95% of California is suffering extreme or excessive drought.

"That is actual. That is critical. That is unprecedented," said Adel Hagekhalil, normal manager for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.  

California is not alone as reservoirs across the West are draining.  

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

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

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

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