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

In an unprecedented move, Southern California officers declared a water shortage emergency and asked roughly 6 million residents to restrict all outside watering to only as soon as every week.  

"We knew climate change would stress our water provides and we have been getting ready for it however we didn't know it would occur this quick," 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 extreme or excessive drought.

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

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

Lake Mead, the biggest reservoir within the nation fashioned by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, wants a new pump to make sure water can stream to Las Vegas. 

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

Reager mentioned 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 have now fires, and in California, there's just this series of penalties that we anticipate," mentioned Reager.