New government maps present almost the entire West is in drought and it is not even summer season but: “That is unprecedented”

In an unprecedented transfer, Southern California officers declared a water scarcity emergency and requested roughly 6 million residents to restrict all out of doors watering to just as soon as per week.  

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

The latest authorities maps show almost all of the West is in drought, and 95% of California is suffering severe or extreme drought.

"This is actual. That is severe. This is unprecedented," mentioned Adel Hagekhalil, general manager for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.  

California isn't 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 circulation to Las Vegas. 

"The issue with climate change is that it takes all of 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 local weather 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 now we have fires, and in California, there's simply this collection of consequences that we anticipate," mentioned Reager.