New government maps show practically all the West is in drought and it isn’t even summer but: “That is unprecedented”

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

"We knew local weather change would stress our water provides and we've been making ready for it however we did not know it might happen this quick," said Gloria Gray, chairwoman of the Metropolitan Water District Board of Directors.  

The latest authorities maps present practically the entire West is in drought, and 95% of California is struggling severe or extreme drought.

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

California will not be 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 circulation to Las Vegas. 

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

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

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