By BEN SERRANO Correspondent BUTUAN City--Tropical depression “Auring” ravaged some 7,164 hectares, mostly ricefields, across Caraga. Initial official government reports released yesterday showed rice fields were  submerged in floodwaters. Experts here blamed this on damaged and heavily silted irrigation canals that overflowed during continuous rains. In Agusan del Norte, the province’s rice granary town of RTR reported that it lost some 1,742 hectares of ricefields. In Butuan City, some 2,000 hectares were destroyed. In Surigao del Sur, officials said some 1.942 hectares of rice fields in the municipalities of San Miguel, Tago, Bayabas, Carmen, Lianga, Hinatuan, Carascal and Marihatag were destroyed. Some 1,277 hectares were destroyed in Agusan del Sur. The Department of Agriculture (DA) said the provinces of Surigao del Norte and Dinagat islands have yet to submit official reports on damages to agriculture. “Auring” left Mindanao late Sunday evening with no casualty reported. It weakened and was downgraded to low pressure area. But as of  12 noon Monday, a total of 1,207 families from 13 barangays in Butuan City--Buhangin, Bobon, Baan Riverside, Agao, Obrero, Pangabugan, Golden Ribbon, Maon, Fort Poyohon, Mahogany, Bonbon, Agusan Pequeno and Baan Km. 3--were evacuated to several schools and barangay covered courts due to flooding and landslides caused by “Auring,” the Philippine Information Agency in Agusan del Norte reported. (with reports from mindanews)