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

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

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

The newest government maps show almost all of the West is in drought, and 95% of California is struggling severe or extreme drought.

"This is real. That is critical. This is unprecedented," said 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 brand new pump to make sure water can circulation to Las Vegas. 

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

Reager stated the West is in a 22-year megadrought, as local weather change makes it hotter and drier. 

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