New government maps show nearly the entire West is in drought and it is not even summer time yet: “This is unprecedented”

In an unprecedented transfer, Southern California officers declared a water scarcity emergency and asked roughly 6 million residents to limit all outdoor watering to just once per week.  

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

The latest government maps show practically the entire West is in drought, and 95% of California is struggling extreme or excessive drought.

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

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

Lake Mead, the biggest reservoir in the nation fashioned by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, wants a brand new pump to ensure water can circulate to Las Vegas. 

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

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

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