[AutonomousVehicles] Waymo set to return to San Antonio after flood incidents

[pmdonahue2 at gmail.com]

Good morning everyone,

 

                This morning I received a story concerning Waymo's return to
service in San Antonio after it was paused last month due to two of its
vehicles being caught in flooded areas of our city. I was unaware that not
one but two Waymo Vehicles were swept away in flood waters. The great news
is that no one was in these vehicles. Waymo may have lost a few vehicles but
no human lives were lost a testimet to Waymo's safety protocols and
precautions. Here is a news article from Texas Public Radio concerning
Waymo's pause and return to service in San Antonio:

 

Texas Public Radio Web Link: Waymo set to return to San Antonio after flood
incidents paused service | TPR
<https://www.tpr.org/economy-and-labor/2026-05-10/waymo-set-to-return-to-san
-antonio-after-flood-incidents-paused-service?ms=Daily26&emci=6ea53df3-9248-
f111-8ef2-000d3a14b640&emdi=18012652-264d-f111-8ef2-000d3a14b640&ceid=678148
3> 

 

Waymo set to return to San Antonio after flood incidents paused service

Texas Public Radio | By Jerry Clayton
<https://www.tpr.org/people/jerry-clayton> 

Published May 10, 2026 at 7:14 PM CDT

*	Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/dialog/share?app_id=785945795554688&display=popup&
href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tpr.org%2Feconomy-and-labor%2F2026-05-10%2Fwaymo-set-
to-return-to-san-antonio-after-flood-incidents-paused-service> 
*	Twitter
<https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tpr.org%2Feconomy-an
d-labor%2F2026-05-10%2Fwaymo-set-to-return-to-san-antonio-after-flood-incide
nts-paused-service&text=Waymo%20set%20to%20return%20to%20San%20Antonio%20aft
er%20flood%20incidents%20paused%20service> 
*	LinkedIn
*	Email
<mailto:?body=Waymo%20set%20to%20return%20to%20San%20Antonio%20after%20flood
%20incidents%20paused%20service%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.tpr.org%2Feconomy-and
-labor%2F2026-05-10%2Fwaymo-set-to-return-to-san-antonio-after-flood-inciden
ts-paused-service%0A%0AWaymo%20is%20expected%20to%20resume%20service%20in%20
San%20Antonio%20this%20week%20after%20suspending%20operations%20following%20
two%20flood-related%20incidents%20involving%20its%20self-driving%20vehicles.
> 



Norma Martinez

/

Texas Public Radio

A Waymo self-driving vehicle at Roosevelt Park ahead of the company's
rollout in San Antonio.

Sign up for
<https://support.tpr.org/a/tpr-newsletter-signup?_gl=1*1qdmxfl*_ga*MjI5ODI0M
TQ5LjE2NDUxMjA0MTM.*_ga_0B2CYK6231*czE3NjI1NTQ2ODUkbzM0NDMkZzEkdDE3NjI1NTQ2O
TIkajUzJGwwJGgw> TPR Today, Texas Public Radio's newsletter that brings our
top stories to your inbox each morning.

Autonomous ride-hailing company Waymo is expected to resume service in San
Antonio this week after suspending operations following two flood-related
incidents involving its self-driving vehicles.

Operations were paused after an April 20 incident in which a Waymo vehicle
was swept away by floodwaters and washed into Salado Creek. The incident
came about two weeks after another Waymo vehicle became stranded in
floodwaters near McCullough Avenue and Contour Drive. Both cars were
unoccupied, and no one was injured in either incident.

The service pause has been the company's longest in San Antonio to date as
Waymo reviewed its flood monitoring procedures and safety protocols. Waymo
previously said it would reevaluate how its vehicles respond to flood-prone
areas and severe weather alerts before restarting service.

The back-to-back flood incidents also underscored how quickly changing
weather conditions in San Antonio can challenge autonomous vehicle
technology.

Waymo's rollout in San Antonio has also raised broader questions about how
self-driving vehicles interact with emergency responders during severe
weather and other emergencies.

Waymo began operations in San Antonio in February in a limited service area
covering 60 square miles of the city. The company also operates in 11 other
cities around the country, including Austin, Dallas and Houston.

 

                We also heard an announcement on our CBS Affiliate KENS 5
that Way will return to service this week. I'm assuming that Wamo will
relaunch within its current geofence which includes San Antonio
International Airport on the north side and Vibrant Works formerly the San
Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind on the south side. Only one more piece of
this puzzle needs to fall into place so we can finally take our first Waymo
Ride expansion of Waymo's service area to include the Stone Oak area where
we live in far north San Antonio. My sources indicate that barring any more
service pauses this expansion is supposed to occur next month.

 

                We have watched numerous YouTube Videos produced by others
taking trips on Waymo and with other autonomous ridesharing services. They
all have one thing in common. None of them are from a blindness perspective.
A great trip for us would be a ride from our home in Stone Oak to Vibrant
Works for a tour. There are parts of their program areas neither of us have
seen. Now to find a video production company that can film us for a YouTube
video one of a Waymo trip from a bliindness perspective. Go Spurs Go!

 

Peter Donahue

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/autonomousvehicles_nfbnet.org/attachments/20260511/78df0049/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 207691 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/autonomousvehicles_nfbnet.org/attachments/20260511/78df0049/attachment-0001.jpg>