Waymo expands service pause affecting Atlanta to Dallas, other Texas cities over severe weather threats

Waymo is expanding the pause on its self-driving car service due to concerns about severe weather to two states, the company announced.

Service in Atlanta was temporarily halted following a storm on Wednesday that left one of its vehicles stuck on a flooded street.

The company said that there are operational protections against flooding, but the rapid nature of Wednesday's storm and heavy rain caused an unoccupied Waymo car to stop in the deep water in Midtown Atlanta before any weather warning or advisory was issued by the National Weather Service.

The vehicle was eventually recovered and removed from the area.

Since then, and with more severe weather possibly on the way, Waymo has removed its vehicles from Atlanta streets. On Friday, the company told CBS News Atlanta that the weather-related suspension is now affecting Texas as well.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Waymo said it would be pausing its services across Texas "out of an abundance of caution for the forecasted severe weather" in the state.

Waymo currently operates in four Texas cities: Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.

The company did not give a date when its vehicles could be back on the roads.

"We continue to closely monitor forecasts, alerts, and live weather conditions, and we will resume serving riders soon," the spokesperson said.