New government maps present nearly the entire West is in drought and it’s not even summer season but: “This is unprecedented”

In an unprecedented transfer, Southern California officials declared a water scarcity emergency and asked roughly 6 million residents to limit all outside watering to only as soon as per week.  

"We knew climate change would stress our water supplies and we've been preparing for it but we didn't know it would occur this fast," mentioned Gloria Gray, chairwoman of the Metropolitan Water District Board of Administrators.  

The most recent government maps present practically the entire West is in drought, and 95% of California is suffering extreme or extreme drought.

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

California just isn't alone as reservoirs throughout the West are draining.  

Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the nation formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, wants a brand new pump to make sure water can movement to Las Vegas. 

"The issue with local weather change is that it takes all of the historical patterns and sort of shifts them," NASA scientist Dr. JT Reager advised CBS Information' Ben Tracy. 

Reager mentioned 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 less water in our reservoirs, and we have fires, and in California, there's just this collection of consequences that we anticipate," mentioned Reager.