Multiple Waymos drive into Atlanta floodwaters, marking second incident in a month
For the second time in a month, a Waymo robotaxi had to be pulled from floodwaters, this time in Atlanta, Georgia.
Heavy rain flooded roads in Atlanta, Georgia, during rush hour, stranding multiple vehicles, including a Waymo on May 20. Local officials reported floodwaters forcing temporary highway closures.
More than one Waymo became stuck in floodwaters in Atlanta on Wednesday, marking the second flood-related incident for the robotaxi company in the last month.
Multiple videos showed a Waymo stalled out with water up to its headlights on North Avenue in Atlanta Wednesday afternoon. 11Alive reported that the car was manually driven away Thursday morning around 9 a.m.
A Waymo stuck in floodwaters in Atlanta on May 20, 2026. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Rachael Knudsen)
In a different Waymo, video taken by Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Rachael Knudsen shows the car repeatedly driving into flooded streets in Atlanta on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the company said the vehicle "encountered a flooded roadway during an intense and unexpected period of rainfall across Atlanta."
AJC journalist Rachael Knudsen documented her experience in a Waymo as it drove through flooded roads multiple times before leaving her stranded on May 20.
Radar estimated more than 4 inches of rain in a small spot northeast of downtown. An AccuWeather Ambient weather station in Old Fourth Ward in Atlanta measured 4.27 inches of rain between 3:50 and 5:50 p.m. EDT.
Last week, Waymo announced it was recalling 3,800 robotaxis from roads in six major cities across the United States, after a self-driving car drove into floodwaters last month.
The recall, confirmed by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, can be traced to an incident on April 20 in San Antonio, Texas, when an empty Waymo vehicle drove into floodwaters and was swept away into a creek.
Waymo operates the robotaxis in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, San Antonio and Atlanta.
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