Michael Adkison/Houston Public Media
A Waymo self-driving car operating on Feb. 19, 2026.
ATLANTA — Waymo has suspended driverless car services in Atlanta, Houston and other Texas cities after one of its vehicles was stranded by flooding during heavy rains that will likely also hinder travel in a large swath of the U.S. over the holiday weekend.
Severe thunderstorms with large hail and gusty winds were possible Friday in Texas and other parts of the Southern and Central Plains, the National Weather Service said.
Forecasters warned of possible flash flooding along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana on Saturday, when rain and thunderstorms were expected across much of the central and eastern U.S.
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The Waymo vehicle got stuck during a downpour in Atlanta on Wednesday that flooded streets and even part of a downtown highway. The vehicle was not occupied and was later recovered, the company said in a statement. At least one other Waymo vehicle was waylaid during the storm.
There were two previous incidents in San Antonio in which Waymo vehicles got caught in floodwaters. The company subsequently issued a software recall for nearly 3,800 vehicles.
Waymo serves only the city of Atlanta in Georgia, and services several cities in Texas. Its autonomous ride-hailing service launched in Houston in February.
The company paused service in Texas “out of an abundance of caution for the forecasted severe weather,” the statement said.