A photo of the Waymo driving directly into a massive flood zone was captured before it stalled out for roughly an hour.
ATLANTA — Waymo temporarily paused its service in Atlanta, Georgia after one of its unoccupied autonomous vehicles became stranded in floodwaters during heavy rain Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the company said safety remains the top priority “for both our riders and everyone we share the road with.” According to the company, the vehicle encountered a flooded roadway during what it described as an intense and unexpected period of rainfall across the city.
The spokesperson said the vehicle stopped after entering the flooded area and was later recovered and removed from the scene. No passengers were inside the vehicle at the time, and no injuries were reported.
A photo of the Waymo driving directly into a massive flood zone was sent into 11Alive by a viewer. The vehicle then stalled out before later being cleared and driven away by a person after the flood waters receded after about an hour.
Waymo said the rapid onset of the storm created conditions before the National Weather Service had issued any flash flood warning, watch or advisory and before other operational safety measures had been triggered.
The company added that it had already implemented operational changes related to flooding following a recent recall and is continuing to develop additional software updates aimed at improving vehicle performance around flooded roads.
Waymo said its Atlanta service will remain paused while crews monitor weather and roadway conditions. The company said operations will resume once conditions are considered safe.
You can read Waymo’s full statement below:
“Safety is Waymo’s top priority, both for our riders and everyone we share the road with. During a period of intense rain today in Atlanta, an unoccupied Waymo vehicle encountered a flooded road and stopped. The vehicle has been recovered and removed from the scene.”