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

In an unprecedented move, Southern California officials declared a water shortage emergency and requested roughly 6 million residents to limit all outdoor watering to just once per week.  

"We knew climate change would stress our water supplies and we have been preparing for it but we didn't know it could happen this quick," said Gloria Grey, chairwoman of the Metropolitan Water District Board of Administrators.  

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

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

California is not alone as reservoirs across the West are draining.  

Lake Mead, the most important reservoir within the nation formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, needs a brand new pump to ensure water can movement to Las Vegas. 

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

Reager said 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 now we have fires, and in California, there's simply this sequence of penalties that we anticipate," said Reager.