Authorities in Southern California have declared an unprecedented water shortage emergency due to a record-breaking climate-fueled drought. This past January, February and March were the driest months in California’s history. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California said, “We don’t have enough water supplies right now to meet normal demand. The water is not there. This is unprecedented territory.” Under the emergency order, about 6 million Californians have been ordered to restrict outdoor water usage to one day a week. This is Adel Hagekhalil of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Adel Hagekhalil: “We are looking ahead and asking us to all work together, asking everyone to be ready to stretch the water that we have, so we all have enough water. And one day of watering a week is a good compromise, but if we don’t see the change, we will do the next action.”

A recent study in the journal Nature Climate Change found the western United States and northern Mexico are currently experiencing their worst drought in 1,200 years.