Waymo stopped its robotaxi fleet in Atlanta on Thursday after a driverless car waded into a heavily flooded street and remained stuck for about an hour. The incident follows a week‑old suspension in San Antonio, where the company recalled roughly 4,000 vehicles to install an over‑the‑air patch addressing flood‑detection failures.

Waymo says a sudden storm produced flash flooding faster than the National Weather Service could issue alerts, catching its sensors off guard. An earlier OTA update was meant to bar vehicles from approaching high‑risk water, but the Atlanta case proves the safeguard fell short. The company emphasized safety, noting no one was injured and the car was later recovered.

Earlier this year the NTSB opened a probe after Waymo robots illegally passed school‑bus unload zones in Austin, and a separate crash left a child with minor injuries despite emergency braking. Repeated anomalies pressure regulators and investors to demand more reliable perception software. Waymo’s Atlanta suspension underscores that autonomous fleets still struggle with extreme weather.

Consumers watching the setbacks may hesitate to book robotaxi rides, while competitors cite the mishaps as evidence that human drivers remain safer in severe conditions. Waymo plans further software iterations, but its ability to regain confidence will hinge on demonstrable performance during the next storm season.