Waymo pauses driverless car service in Atlanta and Texas ahead of potentially dangerous storms

Waymo temporarily halted its driverless car service in Atlanta, Georgia, and Texas following severe weather warnings. The decision came after one of its autonomous vehicles was stranded by flooding during heavy rains in Atlanta on Wednesday, with streets and parts of a downtown highway submerged. The vehicle was unoccupied and later recovered, but at least one other Waymo vehicle was also affected by the storm. The National Weather Service had predicted severe thunderstorms with large hail and gusty winds for Friday in Texas and parts of the Southern and Central Plains. Forecasters also warned of possible flash flooding along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana on Saturday, with rain and thunderstorms expected across much of the central and eastern U.S. over the holiday weekend. Waymo operates driverless services exclusively in Atlanta and several Texas cities. The company stated that the suspension in Texas was a precautionary measure due to the forecasted severe weather conditions. The service remains paused until further notice, pending improvements in weather conditions. The flooding in Atlanta on Wednesday highlighted the challenges autonomous vehicles face in extreme weather, particularly when navigating flooded roads. Waymo’s decision underscores the importance of safety protocols in deploying self-driving technology in unpredictable conditions. The company did not specify a timeline for resuming services but emphasized monitoring weather updates closely. The temporary halt reflects broader industry considerations about autonomous vehicle reliability during natural disasters.