New authorities maps show practically the entire West is in drought and it isn’t even summer time yet: “This is unprecedented”

In an unprecedented move, Southern California officials declared a water scarcity emergency and requested roughly 6 million residents to restrict all outdoor watering to only once every week.  

"We knew climate change would stress our water supplies and we've been preparing for it however we didn't know it could happen this quick," mentioned Gloria Gray, chairwoman of the Metropolitan Water District Board of Directors.  

The newest authorities maps present practically all the West is in drought, and 95% of California is suffering extreme or extreme drought.

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

California is just not alone as reservoirs throughout the West are draining.  

Lake Mead, the largest reservoir within the nation fashioned by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, wants a brand 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 sort of shifts them," NASA scientist Dr. JT Reager told CBS News' Ben Tracy. 

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

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