Waymo temporarily suspended robotaxi service in six United States cities after severe storms and flooding created safety concerns for its autonomous vehicles.The company paused service in Atlanta; Nashville, Tennessee; and San Antonio, Houston, Dallas and Austin, Texas, following recent flood-related incidents and forecasts for additional heavy rainfall across parts of the South.AccuWeather.com"We are committed to being good neighbors for our riders and our communities. As part of that commitment, we make proactive decisions including temporarily pausing aspects of our service. We know riders count on us to get around, and we appreciate their patience as we work to get them where they're going safely and reliably," a Waymo spokesperson told AccuWeather via email.AdvertisementAdvertisementWaymo said the situation remains dynamic and service has already resumed in some of the impacted cities.The service disruptions follow multiple reports of Waymo vehicles encountering floodwaters during heavy rain in Atlanta last week. Videos showed at least one Waymo stalled on North Avenue with water reaching near its headlights, and Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Rachael Knudsen documented a separate ride in which the vehicle repeatedly attempted to navigate flooded streets.The Atlanta incidents came about a month after a Waymo vehicle drove into floodwaters in San Antonio on April 20, 2026, and was swept into Salado Creek. The vehicle was unoccupied, and no injuries were reported.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed a recall involving nearly 3,800 Waymo vehicles after the San Antonio flooding incident. The recall applies to vehicles using Waymo's fifth- and sixth-generation automated driving systems, according to reports citing federal recall documents.AdvertisementAdvertisementAccording to Waymo, it has systems in place to monitor forecasts, alerts and live weather conditions and to adjust operations accordingly. Waymo vehicles can navigate heavy rain, but operations may be paused "out of an abundance of caution" during intense rain or when flash flooding is possible.Waymo also said it is implementing additional software safeguards, including refining extreme weather operations during periods of heavy rain and limiting access to areas where flash flooding could occur.Waymo did not provide a timeline for when customers in these cities can expect service to be restored.The company said riders should check the Waymo app for the latest service updates. Waymo continues to operate normally in other markets.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe pauses underscore a growing challenge for autonomous vehicle companies as they expand into cities where sudden downpours, low-lying roads and rapidly changing flood conditions can turn routine trips into hazardous ones. Even shallow-looking water can hide stalled vehicles, washed-out pavement or fast-moving currents, creating dangers for both human drivers and automated systems.