Waymo suspends Atlanta service after sudden downpour traps driverless car

Atlanta flash flood submerges Downtown Connector

All northbound lanes of the Downtown Connector at the Baker Street overpass have reopened after heavy afternoon rainfall and debris-clogged storm drains left multiple vehicles submerged and paralyzed the rush hour commute, according to police.

ATLANTA - Waymo has temporarily paused its autonomous ride-hailing operations in Atlanta after an unoccupied driverless vehicle became trapped in standing water during a sudden, intense downpour.

Waymo pauses Atlanta operations

What they're saying:

According to a statement provided by a Waymo spokesperson, the company is actively monitoring the changing local weather patterns and road conditions, stating they will only resume service once it is entirely safe to do so.

Autonomous vehicle stranded in sudden downpour

The backstory:

On May 20, heavy afternoon downpours and debris-clogged storm drains triggered widespread flash flooding across the city.

The flooding was severe enough to leave multiple standard vehicles completely submerged and entirely paralyze rush-hour traffic. Conditions became so hazardous that authorities were forced to shut down all northbound lanes of the Downtown Connector at the Baker Street overpass until emergency crews could clear the drains. FOX 5 previously reported that while conditions initially improved, standing water and clogged drains continued to plague streets through Midtown, with daily storm rounds expected to impact the region through the holiday weekend.

During the intense downpour, one of the company's unoccupied autonomous vehicles encountered a flooded roadway and came to a complete stop. 

The vehicle has since been recovered and safely removed from the scene.

Waymo says 'safety remains the company's top priority'

Dig deeper:

While Waymo had previously put operational mitigation and other safeguards against flooding in place following a recent recall, the company stated that the rapid nature of this specific storm outpaced their systems. The unoccupied vehicle became stuck in the floodwaters before the National Weather Service had issued an official flash flood warning, watch, or advisory, and before any other internal operational triggers could take effect.

The vehicle has since been recovered and safely removed from the scene.

What's next:

Waymo says its engineering teams are continuing to develop and implement additional software updates designed to improve the autonomous vehicle fleet's performance and navigation around heavily flooded roadways.

What we don't know:

The company has not given a firm date on when service will resume in Atlanta.