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PERSIA, Iowa — A Harrison County man is still missing after floodwaters tore through rural roads near this western Iowa town, and search crews have not found him even after locating his car.
Portsmith Volunteer Fire Chief Michael Leinen said the emergency response started Monday at 5 a.m., when firefighters were sent to help after a Jeep crash in the area. While responding, crews discovered the road into Persia had washed out. Not long afterward, they learned of a second vehicle incident.
Leinen later heard about a man who had not arrived at work. The missing man lived close to the collapsed section of road. Searchers found pieces of a car and then the car itself, but the man has not been found. Leinen said conditions have made the search slow and dangerous.
“It’s tricky, because obviously with all the rain that we’ve had, the ground’s saturated, there’s muck, you’re sinking in knees deep in the mud. I mean, so it’s making it pretty difficult to get close to the water,” he said.
The man usually leaves for work at 3:30 a.m., according to Leinen. That would put him on the road about 90 minutes before another driver reported the washout. Because no one saw the vehicle enter the water, crews are working along the creek and ditches near the car.
As of May 9, 2026, the search was still underway, Leinen said. The family has asked reporters to respect their privacy, and no name has been released.
Persia is a small community in Harrison County, about 37 miles northeast of Omaha. The washed-out road is one of several in the area that remained closed after heavy rain. Rural roads in that part of Iowa can be dangerous during flash flooding because many of them cross low-lying creeks and drainage channels.
Leinen said the saturated ground is making it difficult for searchers to reach the water, and the thick mud is a hazard for first responders. “You’re sinking in knees deep. The ground is heavy, and it’s hard to keep traction,” he said.
The search teams are using a combination of ground patrols and equipment to check the waterways near the washout. The operation has been going on since Monday, and crews are being rotated because of the difficulty of the terrain. Leinen said the goal remains the same: get to the water and find the man.
The National Weather Service has also flagged the flood threat in western Iowa. With soils already saturated, forecasters have warned that additional rain could cause more flooding and road damage. Leinen said any new rain would make the search even harder.
The community around Persia has been watching the search closely. Neighbors have offered help, and local fire departments have been supporting the crews on the ground. Leinen said families in the area are accustomed to dealing with weather-related emergencies, but this one has carried more weight because it involves a person.
Authorities have not yet explained the exact sequence that left the man missing. The Jeep crash that triggered the response may have been linked to the same road washout, but that remains under investigation, Leinen said. The presence of two separate vehicle incidents in the same small area has made the situation more complicated for officers.
Leinen also said crews have to be careful not to disturb evidence while also searching for the man. The car has been secured, and investigators are trying to determine which direction it was traveling and whether the road had already washed away by the time the car reached the break.
The missing man’s regular work schedule has become an important part of the timeline. If he left home at 3:30 a.m., he would have reached the washout area long before the public knew there was a problem. That leaves little chance that a passerby could have seen the car go down, Leinen said.
Emergency officials are asking anyone in the Persia area who drove that route early Monday to contact law enforcement. Even a small detail about the condition of the road or the location of debris could help narrow the search area.
As search crews continue working through the weekend, local officials are urging people to avoid closed roads and watch for changing conditions. Leinen said the situation is being reassessed daily, and the search is expected to remain active until they know more.
“We’re going to keep working this until we find him,” Leinen said. “The people out here know these roads, and they know how fast the water can move. We’re doing everything we can.”
The investigation remains open, and additional updates are expected from Harrison County officials as the search progresses.
