Waymo Suspends San Francisco Robotaxi Service After National Weather Service Flood Alert

Waymo halted its fully driverless ride-hailing operations across the San Francisco Bay Area on Thursday, responding to a National Weather Service (NWS) flash flood warning issued for Christmas Day. Customers opening the company’s mobile application received a notice indicating that service was “temporarily paused” because of the weather advisory.

The Alphabet subsidiary stopped pickups and drop-offs in the region shortly before storms were expected to arrive. The NWS has placed the entire Bay Area under a flood watch through 10 p.m. local time on Friday, citing the potential for heavy rain, saturated soil and rapid rises in creeks and streams. Additional information on the forecast is available directly from the National Weather Service.

Waymo did not reply to requests for comment, and it remains unclear whether the decision was voluntary or taken in consultation with state regulators. The California Public Utilities Commission, which oversees driverless ride-hailing services, also did not respond to inquiries made during the holiday.

Recent power-outage disruption prompted fleet update

Thursday’s suspension follows an operational setback on Dec. 20, when a large Pacific Gas and Electric Co. blackout left tens of thousands of San Francisco customers without electricity. During that outage, several Waymo vehicles reportedly stopped in traffic lanes when signalized intersections went dark, contributing to congestion. Earlier this week, the company said it would modify its software so that autonomous vehicles can better navigate intersections lacking functional traffic lights and continue operating safely during future power interruptions.

Jeffrey Tumlin, former director of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, said last week’s incident underscores the need for limits on fleet size based on location, time of day and weather conditions. He has urged regulators to establish performance tests that would allow rapid scaling only after companies prove they can remove stalled vehicles quickly and supply data on how their systems respond to emergencies such as blackouts, floods or earthquakes. Tumlin’s comments reflect growing scrutiny of autonomous taxis as they transition from pilot programs to routine commercial service in major cities.

Operations extend beyond California

Waymo currently runs fully commercial, driverless services in five U.S. markets: Austin, the San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, Atlanta and Los Angeles. The company expanded from three to five metro areas in 2025 and plans to widen its geographic footprint “across and beyond the U.S.” in 2026, according to information previously shared with investors and local officials. Vehicles in all markets operate without human safety drivers, relying instead on onboard sensors, high-definition maps and remote assistance when necessary.

Maintaining service during adverse weather has emerged as a technical and regulatory priority. Rain can obscure sensors, while standing water and flooding can alter road markings and trigger unexpected detours. Flash floods pose added risk because water levels can rise within minutes, potentially stranding vehicles or passengers before a remote fleet operator can intervene. For these reasons, autonomous-vehicle firms often limit service or switch to manual operation when severe weather alerts are in effect.

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Regulatory landscape and data transparency

The California Public Utilities Commission grants so-called Driverless Deployment permits that allow companies to charge fares without a safety driver in the vehicle. Although regulators can suspend or restrict permits, no public order compelling Waymo to pause operations on Thursday had been issued as of press time. The absence of immediate regulatory guidance during fast-moving events, such as storms or blackouts, has led city officials to request clearer protocols and real-time data reporting from operators.

Cities including San Francisco have asked for detailed information on vehicle density, incident response times and fallback procedures during emergencies. Tumlin and other transportation experts argue that a staged growth model—where fleet sizes increase only after meeting specific benchmarks—could balance innovation with road safety. They contend that objective performance metrics, rather than broad moratoriums, would encourage continuous improvement in autonomous-vehicle technology.

Waymo’s pause on Christmas Day is the second service interruption in the Bay Area this month and illustrates the operational challenges facing robotaxi providers as they scale fleets in dense urban environments. Heavy rains, power outages and other infrastructure stresses test the resilience of autonomous systems and the policies that govern them. How companies and regulators address these events is likely to influence expansion plans, public acceptance and the broader timeline for widespread autonomous-vehicle adoption.

Service is expected to resume once the flash flood warning is lifted and road conditions stabilize. Until then, Waymo riders in the Bay Area must rely on alternative transportation, while officials monitor both the weather and the performance of emerging driverless technologies.

Crédito da imagem: David Paul Morris / Bloomberg via Getty Images