The MythBusters look at destructive force of hurricanes

You might not be able to fool Mother Nature, but based on an episode of MythBusters that ran last night on the Discovery Channel, it might be possible to at least work in conjunction with her.

With Hurricane Ida in the news and preparing to make a mess of the weather on parts of the country even as it was downgraded to a tropical depression, MythBusters aired its "Hurricane Windows" show, in which hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman investigate whether you can lessen the damage caused by a storm by leaving windows open on a trailer or a home.

In typical MythBusters fashion, Savage and Hyneman pulled out all the stops to determine the veracity of the myth, even using the University of Florida's wind machine to create hurricane-force winds. No spoiler alert here: Watch the different parts of the episode on the show's site to see what happens. (The screen shot shows the duo observing a trailer getting battered by Category 2 winds.)

The 2009 Atlantic hurricane season, which wraps up at the end of November, has seen lower-than-normal activity, as noted in our August storm-season update and as reported on Weather.com: "2009 will go into the record books as a very uneventful hurricane season, except for late season Ida." To be prepared for a weather-related event no matter when it happens, use the advice on our Storm & Emergency Guide.—Steven H. Saltzman | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: We haven't tested roofing shingles or siding for their ability to withstand hurricanes or tornadoes, but our reviews of these building materials can help you find products that will look good and last. Watch our video on how we test shingles.