New authorities maps show almost the entire West is in drought and it is not even summer but: “That 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 only once every week.  

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

The newest authorities maps present almost the entire West is in drought, and 95% of California is struggling extreme or excessive drought.

"This is real. This is severe. This is unprecedented," mentioned Adel Hagekhalil, normal 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 formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, needs a brand new pump to ensure water can flow to Las Vegas. 

"The issue with climate change is that it takes all the historic patterns and type of shifts them," NASA scientist Dr. JT Reager told CBS News' Ben Tracy. 

Reager said 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 less water in our reservoirs, and we've got fires, and in California, there's simply this collection of penalties that we anticipate," said Reager.