-No. U.S. immigration law does not require that you have the re-entry document in your possession when you depart, but it does require that you apply for the permit before you leave the U.S. So, you have to file the Re-entry permit (I-131) when you are physically present in US.
If you have the uncontrolled reason that prevents you to return U.S. within one year, you may apply for a Returing Resident Visa (SB-1 Visa) from the US Consulate (e.g. US Consulate in Guangzhou, China).