New authorities maps show nearly all of the West is in drought and it isn’t even summer yet: “This is unprecedented”

In an unprecedented move, Southern California officials declared a water shortage emergency and asked roughly 6 million residents to limit all outside watering to simply once every week.  

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

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

"That is real. This is critical. That is unprecedented," mentioned Adel Hagekhalil, basic manager for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.  

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

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

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

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

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