New authorities maps show almost the entire West is in drought and it is not even summer time yet: “That is unprecedented”

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

"We knew local weather change would stress our water provides and we've been getting ready for it however we did not know it could occur this fast," mentioned Gloria Grey, chairwoman of the Metropolitan Water District Board of Directors.  

The newest authorities maps show nearly all of the West is in drought, and 95% of California is struggling severe or extreme drought.

"That is actual. This is serious. This is unprecedented," mentioned Adel Hagekhalil, common supervisor 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 within the nation shaped by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, needs a brand new pump to make sure water can movement to Las Vegas. 

"The issue with local weather change is that it takes all the historic 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 climate change makes it hotter and drier. 

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