diff --git a/get_ee_from_region.py b/get_ee_from_region.py
index 2f6bfea..c9feb3a 100755
--- a/get_ee_from_region.py
+++ b/get_ee_from_region.py
@@ -110,11 +110,11 @@ parser.add_argument(
 parser.add_argument(
     "-O",
     "--override-existing",
-    dest='override-existing',
-    default=True,
+    dest='override_existing',
+    action='count',
+    default=0,
     required=False,
-    action='store_true',
-    help="verbose mode, log output goes to stderr")
+    help="will not refetch an existing file unless this option is specified")
 
 parser.add_argument(
     "-c",
@@ -177,7 +177,6 @@ target_region_name="{}{}{}".format(args.country,
 bbox=get_mainland_bbox(args.country, args.region)
 logging.debug("BBOX for [{}] as tuple is {}".format(target_region_name, bbox))
 
-#ee.Geometry.BBox(w,s,e,n)
 b_list = list(bbox)
 logging.debug("BBOX for [{}] as list is {}".format(target_region_name, b_list))
 
@@ -185,5 +184,18 @@ target_filename = target_region_name + ".png"
 
 if os.path.exists(target_filename):
     logging.debug("The file [{}] already exists.".format(target_filename))
+    if args.override_existing == 0:
+        print("The file [{}] already exists. -O flag not specified. Exiting.".format(target_filename))
+        sys.exit(5)
 else:
     logging.debug("The file [{}] does not exist.".format(target_filename))
+logging.debug("Creating file [{}]".format(target_filename))
+with open(target_filename, 'w') as f:
+    pass
+
+ee.Initialize(project="arizona-topo")
+elv = ee.Image('USGS/SRTMGL1_003')
+region_of_interest = ee.Geometry.BBox(b_list[0],
+                                      b_list[1],
+                                      b_list[2],
+                                      b_list[3])