MythBusters · Video summary

Can A Blast Of Air Knock Someone Off Their Feet Like In The Movies? | MythBusters | S5 E26

MythBusters tested hurricane window myths and liquid nitrogen's shattering power. Opening hurricane windows offers no significant protection, while liquid nitrogen doesn't make frozen organic matter shatter easily.

MythBusters · March 23, 2026 · 49-min episode · 6-min read

Can A Blast Of Air Knock Someone Off Their Feet Like In The Movies? | MythBusters | S5 E26

Key takeaways

🎯In a hurricane, opening windows does not significantly reduce structural damage compared to keeping them closed.07:05
🎯Liquid nitrogen can freeze organic matter rapidly, but it does not cause it to shatter like ice on impact.18:28
💡A 5-second immersion in liquid nitrogen is insufficient to freeze organic material to the point of brittleness.18:28
🚀Understand that liquid nitrogen's rapid freezing doesn't equate to explosive shattering of organic materials like faces or trees.18:28
💡Small-scale wind tunnel tests can be misleading; real-world proportions of windows to house size can negate observed effects.32:46
🎯The real danger in a hurricane is water damage, not wind pressure on windows, and closed windows don't prevent this.40:56

Chapters

1:40🏠 Introduction to Hurricane Survival Myth
2:38🔬 Small-Scale Wind Tunnel Testing Setup
4:33📈 Testing with Windows Closed
5:16💨 Testing with Windows Open
6:22🚪 Testing with Single Windows Open
7:46🧊 Introduction to Liquid Nitrogen Myths
8:55💀 Creating a 'Frozen Head' Analogue
11:01🛠️ Building the Impact Smasher
17:04🧊 Testing the 5-Second Freeze
18:53❄️ Testing the Full Freeze
21:49💨 Hurricane Simulator Setup
22:50🚶 Human Exposure to 100 mph Winds
25:12🐷 Testing with a Pig's Head
27:59🏠 Full-Scale House Testing Setup
30:17🍃 Testing with Windows Open
31:37🔒 Testing with Windows Closed
33:44🌲 Introduction to Exploding Christmas Tree Myth
34:55⚖️ Measuring Tree Water Content
36:58💥 Control Test: Exploding Tree
39:23☔ Adding Rain and Debris to Hurricane Test
41:48❌ Hurricane Myth Busted
42:55💧 Liquid Nitrogen Tree Freeze
47:58🧊 Exploding Tree Myth Busted

The digest

Hurricane Preparedness: Open Windows vs. Closed, and the Brittle Nature of Frozen Flesh

This episode of MythBusters investigates two distinct myths: whether opening windows during a hurricane reduces structural damage to a home, and if liquid nitrogen can cause human flesh and Christmas trees to shatter upon impact. The segments are relevant for homeowners facing severe weather and for anyone curious about the dramatic, often exaggerated, portrayals of extreme cold and its effects in media.