ATLANTA (AP) — Waymo has suspended driverless car services in Atlanta and Texas 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.

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.

Waymo serves only the city of Atlanta in Georgia, and services several cities in Texas.

The company paused service in Texas “out of an abundance of caution for the forecasted severe weather,” the statement said.

Keep Reading

Atlanta Journal-Constitution journalist Rachael Knudsen was picked up by a Waymo Wednesday evening before the autonomous car got stuck in flood waters multiple times. (Rachael Knudsen/AJC)

Credit: Rachael Knudsen

Featured

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker was defeated in a nonpartisan election Tuesday by a prosecutor in the office of District Attorney Fani Willis, as was another judge on the court. (Jason Getz/AJC 2025)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com