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

In an unprecedented transfer, Southern California officers declared a water scarcity emergency and asked roughly 6 million residents to restrict all outdoor watering to simply once a week.  

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

The latest government maps present practically the entire West is in drought, and 95% of California is struggling severe or excessive drought.

"That is actual. That is critical. That is unprecedented," mentioned Adel Hagekhalil, general supervisor for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.  

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

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

"The issue with local weather change is that it takes all of the historical patterns and kind of shifts them," NASA scientist Dr. JT Reager informed 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 simply beginning to see the dominoes fall. It is drier, we're beginning to see less water in our reservoirs, and we have fires, and in California, there's simply this series of consequences that we anticipate," stated Reager.